Dragon Season: A Moment in Time
by Akiko Natsuko
Summary: Part of the Dragon Season storyline: 'Dragons and their children only have one mate in their life, and if the chosen mate rejects them then they will spend their entire life alone.' That one moment in the battle with the Dragons has a deeper effect on Natsu than anyone expected. (Non-explicit boy/boy, don't like then don't read). Disclaimer inside.
1. Chapter 1

Set in the same storyline as Dragon Season. This may later be inserted into the main story but as I have yet to decide how far I am going to go in the timeline with that one I am posting it here, it will be about 4 chapters long (I think but my mind get away from me)

Disclaimer: As always Fairy Tail and its amazing characters don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them.

FTFT

"JUVIA!"

Gray heard Lyon's panicked shout and swung around at once, his eyes widening as he spotted the creature firing a laser directly at Juvia who had frozen, her face a mask of terror as she stared at the rapidly approaching blast. He didn't stop to think what he was doing, his body moving before he even realised what was happening and it was only when his hand connected with her and he shoved her to safety that what he had done registered only to be wiped away by the all-encompassing pain that filled him as the blast struck him directly in the chest.

As he began to fall backwards the world around him began to darken, and seconds later the breath was forced from his lungs as multiple blasts collided with him forcing a cry of pain from suddenly numb lips. In the midst of the pain and growing darkness he felt a warm presence in the back of his mind and tears prickled at the corners of his eyes as he felt Natsu frantically reaching out to him and trying to share his strength. With the last dredges of consciousness he possessed he reached out trying to let the Dragon-slayer know how much he loved him, only to be consumed by the wave of grief and fury that poured through the bond from the other end.

"Natsu," he breathed weakly as the mental scream washed over him and he was vaguely aware that Natsu's cry had broken through into the physical world before he was swept away completely as a final blast collided with his head. In an instance he was gone, unaware of how his body struck the ground with a dull thud and unable to hear the agonised scream that tore itself free from Juvia's throat as she realised what had happened, whilst Lyon dopped heavily to his knees with an anguished cry with Meredy stood weeping softly behind him.

FTFT

Natsu had been firmly focused on the battle raging between himself and Future-Rogue, resolutely trying to ignore the fear that had been plaguing him since the Dragons had first appeared over Crocus. His inner dragon was nervous knowing that Gray was out in the city somewhere fighting, especially as they had no idea who he was with or how bad the situation on the ground was; only the fact that he could feel the distant hum of the Ice Mage's presence in the back of the mind stopped him from giving into the urge to abandon the current battle and seek him out.

Growling he dodged out of the way of an attack before retaliating with a fierce hit that forced the other Dragon-slayer to stagger back, only for both of them to stagger slightly as Atlas Flame took the opportunity to slam himself against Motherglare once more, both dragons snarling furiously at each other as they fought for the upper hand. Part of Natsu was fascinated by the sight – in all the time he had spent with Igneel he had never had the opportunity to witness a dragon going all out in a battle as his adoptive father hadn't been willing to use such force against a human child.

As Future-Rogue's fist flashed by his cheek only missing due to the unpredictable movement of the Dragons beneath them, Natsu forced himself to focus on the battle at hand, knowing that he couldn't afford to be distracted now. Gray needed to be protected, and his promise to Lucy was a constant echo in the back of his mind and both thoughts brought a growl to his lips as he lashed out and sent the other Dragon-slayer skidding backwards across rough scales and he allowed a brief glint of triumph to appear in his eyes as he took in the other mage's startled expression…he would teach the other man not to underestimate him even if Rogue had nearly managed to wipe him out earlier.

FT

However, all thoughts of the battle and his promise to Lucy vanished abruptly a second later when the bond between himself and Gray was filled with a terrifying sense of wrongness and his eyes narrowed as he caught the fear and horror that was coming off his Mate in waves. Before he could even try and determine what was wrong he was struck by a wave of pain that was so intense it sent him crashing to his knees, his eyes watering as he frantically reached out trying to lend Gray his strength as the Ice mage cried out in pain. Seconds later the original wave of pain was followed by another surge of overwhelming agony and he was unable to stifle the cry that forced its way free, and something in him shattered as he realised that the bond was slowly disappearing into a cloud of shadow.

"Gray….no…" He mumbled desperately as he felt the Ice Mage slipping away from him, barely aware of the weak touch that Gray was sending him, flinching away from the desperate message of love as he tried to deny what was happening. Seconds later another surge of pain went through them and he bit his lip hard to hold back the pained cry that wanted to break lose, completely unaware of the coppery taste filling his mouth as he realised that the link between him and Gray had vanished completely.

For a moment he was frozen, unable to think let alone attempt to comprehend what the sudden emptiness in the back of his mind meant and helpless to fight against the dark void that was threatening to swallow him. Slowly from admist the growing darkness a single thought began to take shape, despite his frantic attempts to stop it from taking hold and a solitary tear escaped marking the start of the coming flood.

_Gray is gone._

The second that realisation sank into his shocked mind something welled up from deep inside him, and an anguished cry spilled forth from his lips as he fell forward, barely catching himself with clenched fists as tears streaked down his cheeks. He was so lost in his grief and rising fury that he didn't realise that his dragon was amplifying the cry, until it filled the air over the city, stopping everyone and everything in their tracks as it rocked them to their core.

FTFT

For the normal mages the sound was unnerving and they found themselves looking skywards despite the numerous battles raging around them, only those in Fairy Tail realising that it was their Salamander that was crying out even though they didn't understand why. On the far-side of the city Lucy looked up from her perusal of the diary left by her future-self, tears springing unbidden to her eyes as his voice washed over her and she stumbled for a moment as she realised that something terrible must have happened…even when her future-self had died he hadn't sounded so wounded…her eyes widened as a cold feeling washed through her as she realised there was only one thing that could make him sound like that, and a choked sob escaped as she began to move back towards where the main fighting was happening, the diary clasped against her chest but temporarily forgotten.

Elsewhere both Erza and Jellal had frozen mid-fight as Natsu's cry reached them, their eyes meeting for as fraction of a second as they registered the sheer sorrow that it was conveying. Without a word they resumed their attack a moment later, instinctively sliding around one another as though they had fought together hundreds of times before and this time there was an increased level of ferocity in their attacks. They knew that whatever had happened was bad, and even without words Jellal could see the desperate need burning in Erza to re-join her nakama and find out was happening and he was determined to make sure she got there.

Makarov frowned as the cry reached him, immediately recognizing Natsu's voice and his expression darkened as he realised what such a cry indicated. His heart seemed to skip a beat for a moment as the world darkened around him, it had always been a distinct possibility that they would lose someone in this battle…but now to be faced with the loss of one of his brats he found himself fighting to keep his feet, and his heart went out to the Dragon-slayer as the anguished cry dragged on and on.

FT

For the Dragon-slayers scattered around the city thought the cry had a deeper and more personal meaning, and it awoke instincts that most of them were unaware that they possessed and their own draconic sides rose in response to the grieving cry.

"What is that?" Brickslow demanded as he sprang away from their opponent who had frozen at the horrendous cry that was echoing through the air, fighting the urge to clasp his hands over his ears as he dropped back beside his teammates who were watching Laxus with concern. The Dragon-Slayer had gone completely still, his eyes wide and wild as he stared up at the sky and they jumped a moment later when a low, ferocious growl rumbled through him.

"Laxus?" Fried asked cautiously as he moved towards the other mage, only to flinch back as electricity crackled in the air around Laxus and they all tensed as they felt his magic saturating the area around them.

"Natsu-san…." Wendy whimpered as tears began to leak down suddenly colourless cheeks, her eyes going wide as her draconic side began to stir in reaction to Natsu's grief. She staggered slightly as fury and a thirst for retribution that was entirely separate from her own feelings rose in her chest, and she was relieved when Mira rapidly wrapped an arm around her.

"Wendy what's going on? Is that…Natsu?" Mira asked anxiously, feeling the younger girl shaking violently in her arms and when Wendy glanced up she had to fight the urge to flinch back, there was a feral glint in the watery brown orbs that met her gaze that was completely at odds with her normal expression. "Wendy?" She asked in alarm, fighting the urge to back away especially when a low growl escaped the younger girl.

"Gray," Wendy whispered as she clung desperately to her self-control, feeling her draconic side fighting against her and knowing that she wouldn't be able to hold it back for long. "Gray's gone." Mira stiffened as she realised what Wendy was trying to say, tears springing to her eyes as the realisation that they had lost a nakama began to settle in before her eyes widened as she realised what the deafening cry signified.

"Wendy we're going to end this," Laxus ground out harshly, his voice barely human as it cut across Natsu's cry and the sound of the battle as his gaze returned to the Dragon watching them with a mocking expression. Instinctively he realised that the creature should have reacted to the cry as well, and the fact that he hadn't indicated that whatever was controlling it was too strong and that knowledge only fuelled his temper.

"Yes," Wendy agreed simply as she silently shrugged Mira's supporting arm off and stepped forward to join the other Dragon-slayer, her eyes glinting with amber fire as her power welled up around her until a wild wind whipped through the air to join the uncomfortable pressure that Laxus was letting off and the others hastily backed away realising that in this state neither of the Dragon-slayers were going to heed their presence.

FT

Gajeel froze mid-attack as Natsu's cry rang through the air, dropping heavily to the ground as his inner dragon surged to the forefront of his mind responding to the other's loss and he let out a snarl that stopped his opponent in its tracks. The Dragon-slayer was barely aware of this fact though as his head had turned automatically in the direction that Natsu's cry was coming from. Frantically he reached out to check that Levy was still relatively safe and despite the fear that he could feel coming off her, he was relieved when their minds brushed although he forced himself to pull away before he became lost in the sensation.

"Salamander," he breathed turning his attention back to his opponent with narrowed eyes, every instinct within him was screaming at him to take down the dragon in front of him...to take down everyone that Natsu perceived as playing a role in Gray's death, and yet his human side was hesitating, reluctant to accept the death of a comrade without going to see with his own eyes that Gray had fallen.

However, his human rationality was swept aside only seconds later as his dragon forced itself to the surface. It needed no further confirmation…Natsu's mourning cry told it everything, and with a howl he attacked once more and as skin gave way to metal, Gajeel willingly focused his entire being on the battle.

FT

Sting and Rogue both froze as the heart-wrenching cry reached them, neither of them understanding the reason behind it but feeling their own inner dragon's reacting to it instinctively. For a brief second their eyes met and both could see the flicker of amber that appeared in the other's eyes, before they whirled around, their power lashing wildly around them with renewed vigour as their previous weariness and doubt faded in the face of their rising draconic instincts.

"Natsu-san," Sting growled as he shifted back into Dragon-force mode with a snarl, his heart aching in response to the sorrow that the echoing cry was conveying and he was consumed by a need to do something…anything that could help relieve that sorrow, even though some part of him realised that nothing he did would ease this pain. Beside him Rogue imitated him, all signs of hesitation gone from his posture as he allowed himself to listen entirely to his dragon and friend and side by side they attacked and their opponents fell back briefly in the face of the unexpected ferocity they were suddenly facing.

FT

Cobra hissed in pain as the cry struck his overly sensitive ears and he was unable to prevent himself from reaching up to grab at them in an attempt to ride out the pain, his eyes watering as he tried to keep at least one eye on his opponent. For several long seconds his attention was consumed by the pain, and it took him a while to realise that something knew was rising in his chest, overthrowing the determination that had filled him earlier when he realised that the Salamander trusted him enough to let him join in with the battle.

He knew that the sorrow and the sudden fury flooding him was coming from something beyond himself, he could feel the draconic magic in his body rising but he made no move to try and fight it. Instead he forced himself to brush the pain aside although he couldn't prevent the soft moan that escaped as he straightened, turning his attention back to his opponent who was watching his reactions with aloof curiosity.

"I will win," he growled out, not with the bravado he had felt at the start of the battle but with quiet determination as his magic saturated the air around him, ignoring the alarmed cries of the mages fighting nearby and their frantic scramble to back away.

FTFT

Atlas Flame had paused in his attacks when the cry had broken free from Igneel's child, his eyes going wide as he realised that not only had the Dragon-slayer mated but that, that Mate had met his end somewhere within this battle. At once guilt rose in him as he realised that he had played an unforgivable role in the battle before Natsu had broken through the control that Motherglare's rider had over him, only to be drowned by the fury that the cry triggered as every instinct he possessed screamed at him to help the child avenge his mate.

His eyes narrowed as he saw the faint tremor that went through Motherglare, but as their gazes met he was stunned to see that there was no hint of the same instincts currently flooding through him. Was the other Dragon-slayer's controlling magic so powerful that it could even override their most basic instincts? Their entire species shared the burden of protecting the bond between mates – it was why any Dragon that endangered or took the life of another's mate was subject to Dragon Law*; and why his instincts were currently howling for him to assist in avenging the loss of Natsu's mate…and yet it was clear that Motherglare shared none of this and that realisation only added to his fury.

FTFT

Natsu was completely unaware of the reactions he had triggered throughout the city, and even if he had been aware he wouldn't have cared. His entire being was consumed by the knowledge that he had failed to protect Gray and that he was now alone, the dark void that had opened up in the back of his mind and within his chest driving home his loss; and he could feel it calling to him, offering him a way out a world without his Mate. Desperately he clutched at his chest wishing that he could rip out his heart to remove the pain that was ripping through him, unaware of the fact that he was actually digging bloody furrows into his skin through his efforts to escape the pain.

_Gone! Our mate is gone! Kill them…kill….kill…._ His inner dragon was shrieking and writhing, and as he felt the tenuous barrier between them beginning to fail he willingly surrendered to his wilder side. As the barrier vanished completely his anguished cry broke off, and Natsu retreated into a corner of his mind as his dragon consumed him completely, the release of his draconic side sending fresh power flooding through him, changing his body as it went. Skin gave way to crimson as it hardened into scales, this time covering most of his body. Whilst warm olive eyes darkened into molten amber which blazed with pain and fury as flames exploded out of him with no semblance of his normal control.

FT

"What trick is this Natsu Dragneel?" Future-Rogue demanded as he slowly recovered from the combined effects of the deafening cry and the subsequent explosion of flames that had forced him backwards. He could feel his control of the remaining six dragons wavering slightly as some previously unrealised instinct was howling at him, and he realised with a start that it was torn between trying to avenge the sorrow that had been inflicted on Natsu and fear that the enraged mage would be taking retribution against them.

Snarling he carelessly shoved the feelings aside and refocused his hold on the other Dragons, noting with a scowl that they were fighting him now and it took more effort than he was willing to admit for them to submit to his will once more. Satisfied that he had them once more he let his gaze shift back to Natsu, wondering just what the other mage had done to unsettle the Dragons as he realised that the other Dragon-Slayer hadn't answered his earlier question. As soon as his eyes settled on Natsu he found his throat closing up as a sudden jolt of fear went through him as he found himself staring into feral amber eyes.

Unable to stop himself he took a nervous step back at the sheer fury and hatred he could see churning in that wild gaze, and his movement drew forth a rumbling growl as Natsu slowly got to his feet as flames danced around him. Rogue narrowed his eyes in suspicion when Natsu made no attempt to make his usual loud boasts and challenges, letting out a mocking chuckle as he realised that there were tears leaking unchecked down his opponents cheeks but it quickly trailed off when Natsu's only response to the mocking was a low snarl…what was going on? There was no way the other Dragon-slayer could have changed so much in the space of a minute…and this power…

"Is this…Dragon-force?" He muttered as he studied the other mage, noting with interest the deep crimson scales that now covered most of his opponent. Even years after the original Grand Magic Games his use of Dragon-force hadn't developed to this extent, with scales only covering parts of his face and upper arms when he was at full strength and the vast difference that had suddenly appeared between them unnerved him more than the unexplainable emotions that Natsu's cry had triggered…For the first time he found himself entertaining the possibility that his plan might fail.

"Because of you…" Natsu finally spoke, his voice barely above a whisper but to Future-Rogue it sounded deafening as he found himself unable to look away from the amber gaze studying his every move and he shivered at the echo he could hear in the other's voice. "Because of you," the Fire mage repeated as the wild flames surrounding him began to shift and slowly gathered around his fists as he slipped into a low crouch, his teeth bared in a grim snarl and Rogue instinctively gathered his own magic in preparation. "My mate is dead because of you!" Grief and guilt outweighed the anger in the final shout, but Rogue had no time to consider what that meant as suddenly there was a flaming fist shooting towards his face.

There was nothing controlled or predictable about the attacks he was facing, and Rogue found himself retreating under the onslaught as he tried to comprehend what had brought about this change, not understanding Natsu's final words. However, he found himself with no time to think as Natsu attacked him relentlessly and moments later he was nearly flung from Motherglare's back as Atlas Flame re-joined the battle with a thunderous expression; and his earlier doubts and fears flared once more…could he really win this battle?

FT


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for the reviews, follows and favourites.

Disclaimer: As always Fairy Tail and its awesome characters don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them.

FTFT

Previously:

"_Because of you…" Natsu finally spoke, his voice barely above a whisper but to Future-Rogue it sounded deafening as he found himself unable to look away from the amber gaze studying his every move and he shivered at the echo he could hear in the other's voice. "Because of you," the Fire mage repeated as the wild flames surrounding him began to shift and slowly gathered around his fists as he slipped into a low crouch, his teeth bared in a grim snarl and Rogue instinctively gathered his own magic in preparation. "My mate is dead because of you!" Grief and guilt outweighed the anger in the final shout, but Rogue had no time to consider what that meant as suddenly there was a flaming fist shooting towards his face._

_There was nothing controlled or predictable about the attacks he was facing, and Rogue found himself retreating under the onslaught as he tried to comprehend what had brought about this change, not understanding Natsu's final words. However, he found himself with no time to think as Natsu attacked him relentlessly and moments later he was nearly flung from Motherglare's back as Atlas Flame re-joined the battle with a thunderous expression; and his earlier doubts and fears flared once more…could he really win this battle?_

FTFT

Now:

Natsu snarled viciously as he was forced backwards one, uncaring of the fresh pain blooming along his side where the other mage's magic had torn through flesh as he struggled to keep his feet. Every part of him was screaming at him to take out the man in front of him, and yet it seemed as though no matter what he tried he was unable to grab the upper hand for more than a few seconds at a time and it was infuriating him.

"What is giving you this strength?" Future-Rogue demanded as he seized the opportunity to catch his breath although he never let his gaze waver from Natsu. This was a side of the Fire mage that he had never seen before, and he couldn't understand where it had come from…he had been so certain when Natsu had used his lightning attack against him back in the Palace that he had seen everything the other Dragon-Slayer had to offer…and yet now he seemed stronger than ever.

"I told you," Natsu growled as he sprang forward with a burst of flames, lashing out violently and forcing the Dragon-Slayer to dance out of reach with a pain expression as he felt his skin beginning to blister as the flames brushed to close for comfort. "My mate is dead because of you," his voice had lost none of its viciousness, but he was unable to keep the agony off his face and his flames faltered giving the other Dragon-slayer the opportunity to retaliate.

"Mate?" He questioned as he forced Natsu to retreat slightly, noting with satisfaction the pained hiss that escaped as the Fire mage grasped the fresh gash that he had just opened on his arm.

"Gray…" Natsu replied and there was a world of pain in that word and he faltered as the devastation of his loss washed over him once more, and he let out a noise that was a mixed whimper and sob as he tried desperately to grab hold of his anger once more. He couldn't falter now…not now…

"The Ice-mage?" Future-Rogue asked with a confused expression as he cast his mind back to his knowledge of the Fairy tail wizards, but he had never had a close interaction with Gray Fullbuster so all he knew about him had been gleaned from watching him fight Rufus in the magic games…still he couldn't see what that had to do with this battle. "What does Gray Fullbuster have to do with anything?"

"DON'T SAY HIS NAME!" Natsu roared, the sound of his mate's name coming from this man's lips effectively reigniting his fury and he charged furiously once more. The other Dragon-slayer found himself having to desperately give ground as flames threatened to engulf him, the heat coming off them hotter than they ever had been before and yet he still didn't understand why.

FTFT

On the far side of the city, and completely unaware of the drama that was unfolding all over the city, with not even Natsu's mournful cries registering, Ultear initiated the one spell she had never had the strength to use for…driven forward by her own pain and regrets.

"_Arc of Time…Last Ages!"_ Ultear cried her magic spreading around her in a flare of brilliant blue light, only to shriek in agony as the spell tore through her body and she had to grit her teeth against the pain as she fought against the urge to release the magic before it was complete. It was harder than she had thought, but she filled her thoughts with all the people that she had hurt in her life…of all those who had been caught up in this tragedy…for them she could bear any amount of pain.

As the magic tore through her she allowed herself to become lost in her memories once more, only now being able to see just what she had, had in her life and she felt her eyes becoming moist as she realised just how much of her Time she wasted. Still, her time could save even a single person caught up in the devastation that had been unleased, she would consider her life well spent.

Eventually the magic surrounding her disappeared and she gasped as she slumped forward, feeling the pain wracking her body, but she still forced herself to turn her head to peer up at the clock tower above her.

"Time…Time…Went back…One minute?!" Her eyes widened in horror as she stared at the clock in disbelief, tears filling her eyes and blurring her vision as the realisation settled over her. "…The value of my life…is just one minute…" Had she been naïve to imagine that an existence like hers could have been worth more than a single moment of time? The tears overflowed as she slowly began to crumple. "No….I couldn't save a single soul…" she whispered as she slumped to the ground, devastation ripping through her as she was forced to acknowledge her failure…unaware that that single precious moment had changed everything.

FTFT

Gajeel blinked in confusion as he felt something wash over him, before something clicked into place in his mind and he sprang to the side just in time to avoid an attack that he was certain had hit him only seconds before.

"ROAR OF THE IRON DRAGON\\!" He bellowed fiercely and his emotions strengthened the attack forcing his opponent back a few feet, and he quickly took advantage by darting backwards himself to put more distance between them so that he could try and work out what was happening. Even now he could feel the effect of Natsu's mourning cry, even though he was certain that time itself had changed although he couldn't explain the certainty behind that thought. Did that mean that the shift hadn't been enough to reverse what had happened?

He could feel his Draconic side growing impatient with his whirling thoughts, still reacting on an instinctual level to the knowledge that a fellow Dragon was in pain and yet his human side wasn't as convinced. Glaring at the Dragon who was lumbering back towards him he reached a decision, and without a word he turned and ran off back in the direction of where he had last seen the Ice mage, ignoring the irritated howl in the back of his mind as his other half tried to lure him back to the battle.

Whatever had given him that glimpse of the future had been enough to save his life, and he had no way of knowing if the same had happened to the rest of his nakama. But if there was chance that it had saved the Ice mage he had to make sure, not only for his own peace of mind, but for Natsu's sake…before the other Dragon-Slayer did something irreversible in his grieving state.

FTFT

Gray blinked in surprise as the world around him seemed to shift for a split second, and suddenly his mind filled with a clear image of himself being struck by multiple attacks and even as what he saw registered both he and his companions sprang into action. His ice filled the air as Lyon darted to his side, and there was no hiding the relief in the older mage's eyes as they moved until they were back to back, their magic surrounding them and forcing their attackers back.

"What on earth was that?" Gray demanded breathlessly when they found a pause in the battle, unable to prevent a hand from drifting to the spot on his chest where the first blast had struck him and he nearly jumped out of his skin when a gentle hand brushed against his arm, turning to find Juvia stood beside him with tears of relief streaming down her face as she stared at him with wide eyes.

"Gray-sama," there was a world of guilt and pain in her voice, and he could see how her eyes flickered to every location that he knew marked a spot where the attacks had landed and it helped to reassure him that he wasn't going completely mad.

"I'm fine and it wasn't your fault," he said reassuringly and without leaving any room for debate, refusing to allow Juvia to wallow in misplaced guilt knowing full well that if it happened again then he would throw himself between her and an attack. It was the Fairy Tail way after all.

"But what happened?" Meredy asked as she finally came up alongside her, and her eyes were suspiciously bright as she glanced at him and he sent her a warm smile knowing that she had been concerned for her. "We all saw that right?" She asked uncertainly and they all nodded, and Gray frowned as he realised that meant they had all been affected by a spell of some sort.

"Could it be from the gate? It effects time doesn't it?" Lyon asked with a frown as he turned his gaze towards the castle and the Eclipse gate, they still next to nothing about the contraption after all…and he knew that despite the destruction and pain it had caused, he would be eternally grateful to it if it was the reason that Gray was still alive.

"Possibly but I don't think it works like that. What about Ultear?" Gray asked turning back to Meredy with a frown, and she gaped at him for a moment before pausing to actually consider what he was saying to her before finally shaking her head.

"Not even Ultear has that amount of power," Meredy replied sounding guilty for actually saying such a thing, but the older woman had always said that there was limits on what time could be manipulated and she had a feeling that this was one of those things.

FT

The ripple of time passed over Natsu and Future-Rogue as they battled furiously, and for a moment Natsu faltered as the void that was consuming him seemed to lessen and the human, more rational part of him froze. Something had shifted and it brought a spark of awareness and for a brief moment he roused himself, tentively trying to investigate especially when he imagined something brushing against the back of his mind.

_Wait, there's something…Gray?_

Before that thought could become something more his inner dragon re-established its control forcing the brief spark of humanity back down inside, and the brief flicker of hope that had tried to take hold vanished as another anguished cry was ripped from his throat. He couldn't let himself dare to hope only for it to be ripped away from him, he was barely hanging on as it was and he needed to hold it together until this battle was finished.

Snarling he sprang forward once more, slashing at the other Dragon-Slayer with a flaming fist and he revelled in the pained shout the other released as he was flung down against the hard surface of Motherglare's scales. There was no attack in the world that could hurt this man as much as he had hurt Natsu, but the Fire mage was determined that Future-Rogue would

FTFT

The sound of running feet drew their attention and both Gray and Lyon immediately sprang into ready positions wary after the previous events, only to pause as Gajeel shot into view an urgent expression on his face which gave way to relief and hope as his eyes landed on Gray and the Ice mage frowned at the odd expression he was getting from the Dragon-Slayer.

"You're alive!" The Iron Dragon-slayer shouted as he skidded to a halt beside them panting heavily from his efforts, and he was relieved to feel his inner dragon beginning to settle slightly as he realised the Ice mage was safe and the urge to avenge Natsu's pain began to seep away. At that moment though another pained cry rang through the air and he flinched at the sorrow it conveyed before frowning in confusion, why was Natsu still unaware that Gray was safe? The bond between them should have returned to its previous state, and yet that cry indicated that the Fire mage was still mourning his mate.

"Natsu?" Gray asked glancing skywards as the noise registered, and suddenly a faint memory of hearing a similar cry only moments before stirred and he felt something in his heart clench at the pain in his Mate's voice. "What's happening?" He demanded turning his attention back to Gajeel even as he reached out to brush against the mental link with Natsu, only to recoil when he found it cut off by an all-encompassing darkness that sent shivers of dread and fear through him.

"He thinks you're dead," Gajeel replied grimly knowing that they didn't have time for him to sugar-coat his words, although he winced slightly as he saw the remembered pain that flashed through onyx eyes. "For some reason whatever that shift in time was hasn't affected him and he still thinks you're gone." Gray's mouth went dry at that news, recalling all too well how Natsu had reacted when Acnologia* had nearly killed him and he was almost afraid to imagine how the Fire mage would react if he thought that he was really gone.

Desperately he reached out to their bond once more, shoving against the block with all his might only to be violently rebuffed to the point where he physically staggered back from the impact. Grimly he tried again, ignoring the pain that was stirring in the back of his head from his efforts and trying not to panic when he realised he was unable to get any reading whatsoever on the Dragon-slayer…it was worse than the time that Natsu had masked his presence back on Tenroujima and it sent an icy shard of fear through him.

"I can't reach him!" He cried out in anguish as he came back to himself, whirling to look at Gajeel in desperation, praying that the Dragon-slayer had some way of getting them out of this situation as he knew that Natsu was likely to do something incredibly foolish if he wasn't stopped.

"You need to get to Natsu right now!" Gajeel growled urgently as another pained cry rang through the air, his own draconic side still riled up from Natsu's first grieving cry and it was taking all his willpower not to punch the Ice Mage for the delay, even though he knew it would only make the situation worse and turn Natsu's wrath in his direction. "He won't believe anyone else, he needs you to be there physically. Hopefully he'll still believe his own senses." There was no way he was going to tell the Ice Mage that there was a chance that Natsu was already too far gone to even recognize his own Mate at this point.

"Gray go, we can handle things here," Lyon ordered, beyond confused at what was going on but seeing the fear in the younger Ice Mage's eyes, beside him Juvia nodded reluctantly in agreement as she too saw the pain in Gray's expression and realising that holding him back from Natsu would only hurt him further.

"Thanks," Gray muttered and without saying anything further he took off in the direction that the cry had come from, having to rely on the noise to guide him towards Natsu as he couldn't even get a direction from their link. He just prayed that he could get there in time before the Dragon-Slayer did something stupid.

FTFT

Natsu couldn't hold back the cry of pain that was forced past his lips as he was sent flying once more, frantically scrabbling at Motherglare's scales in the search for something to grip as he slid towards the edge. Finally at the last second he managed to dig his fingers into a crack, halting his fall and hanging limply for a moment as he tried desperately to catch his breath and work out a way to end this. His body was growing heavier and he knew that he only had little time left before he was left unable to fight…he had to avenge Gray before that.

Baring his teeth in a snarl he pulled himself back up onto the Dragon, clambering to his feet and swaying slightly as he raised his gaze to meet Future-Rogue's eyes as the other Dragon-slayer chuckled at his pitiful state. His hands clenched into fists at the noise, and with difficulty he managed to summon forth fresh flames to wrap around his hands, but he could tell they were weak and he knew that he had to end this.

Before he could attack once more the sky around them was suddenly filled with a blinding burst of golden light, and despite themselves both Dragon-Slayers found themselves turning towards it. For Natsu, however, the light came with a familiar warmth and at the back of his mind his human half stirred and cautiously emerged slightly from its hiding place…He knew that magic although he had never felt it in such vast amounts and he wondered what she could be trying to do and cautiously he peered over the edge of Motherglare.

As his sharp eyes easily spotted the pair of Celestial mages at the source of the magic, and an idea formed at the back of his mind as he realised what they were desperately trying to do, and for a brief moment he felt his Draconic side settling as it listened to his thoughts.

_The Gate! If he could just destroy the gate then Future-Rogue and everything he had brought through would be sent back._

A growl rumbled through him as his Draconic side surged back to the front, but this time they were unified in their goal and he bared his teeth in determination as he raised his eyes once more to the other Dragon-Slayer who narrowed his eyes at the sudden change in the other's expression.

"It's over," Natsu snarled before the other mage even got the chance to ask, and then he was charging forwards once more, determination and fury driving him forward even as Future-Rogue retaliated.

"Natsu," Atlas Flame shouted as he realised what the Dragon-Slayer was about to attempt, and opening his mouth he let out a stream of power as he lent his strength to the Fire mage, knowing that the boy had little strength left if this attack didn't work and determined to make sure that he got the chance to avenge his Mate.

Feeling the Dragon's magic wrapping itself around him, Natsu summoned every remaining scrap of power he had as he allowed the pain of his loss to fill his mind, there was no way he could falter now and he allowed those feelings to drive him onwards. Tears streamed freely down his cheeks as he collided with Future-Rogue, the flames swiftly engulfing the other mage before moving on to wrap themselves around Motherglare as well, causing the Dragon to let out a bellow of pain.

"It'll be over soon Gray," he murmured as he felt them all beginning to lose altitude, Atlas Flame throwing his weight against the other Dragon to help as the speed of their descent began to rapidly increase, whipping the flames around them into a frenzy.

FT

On the ground the mages were distracted by the sudden light that filled the air that filled the air above them, turning to stare in disbelief at the fireball descending towards them at great speeds and even from where they were they could feel the immense heat it was letting off.

"Get back! Everyone get away from the Portal!" Happy shouted in alarm as he realised just what it was that was tearing towards them, and instantly the group began to scatter in a desperate attempt to escape the incoming devastation realising that there would be a very small likelihood of surviving if they wound up caught up in the centre of it.

With devastating force the four of them slammed into the Eclipse gate, and Natsu was only vaguely aware of the structure crumbling beneath the force of the impact before he found himself being flung through the air as the gate exploded. As he fell earthwards he let his eyes slide shut as he released his hold on his magic, hoping that it was all over now as he lacked the strength to fight anymore.

FTFT

For several moments after the dust settled everyone had been frozen, staring in disbelief as they realised that the gate had finally been destroyed. But before they could give into the growing temptation to erupt into celebration their attention was drawn to the figure that was staggering away from the debris. The Fairy Tail mages letting out alarmed cries as they realised it was Natsu, immediately moving towards him as they watched him barely catching himself as his knees threatened to buckle beneath him.

"Stay back!" Wendy and Laxus cried at the same time, and everyone froze in surprise at the both their words and the pained edge to their voices but they automatically obeyed as they realised that the pair probably had a better handle on what was happening than they did.

As they watched Natsu finally lost his battle to remain vertical and he dropped heavily to his knees, his head hanging low and he gave no sign at all of being aware of his audience. And slowly they became aware of the low keening noise that was coming from him, and they all exchanged alarmed looks as they recalled the terrifying cries he had released during his battle…just what had happened?

"We can't just leave him like that," Lucy protested as she finally pulled her gaze away from her best friend, turning to look at Laxus and Wendy who were watching the scene with pained expressions, and she felt her mouth go dry as she saw the fear lurking in their eyes. "What is it?" She demanded, and the tone of her voice quickly drew everyone's attention back to them and the pair flinched under the expectant expressions.

"He's not himself at the moment, just like on Tenroujima," Wendy explained in a quiet voice but there was something else flickering in her eyes, and Lucy narrowed her eyes at the younger girl.

"No there's something else…what aren't you telling us?" She demanded and Laxus and Wendy exchanged nervous looks which did nothing to relieve the worry and fear she was feeling, however, before they could find it in themselves to answer another voice rang out.

"This is the one that mourns?" Zirconis asked in an oddly strangled voice, and the group turned back to him with alarm having forgotten him briefly in the aftermath of the gate's destruction and they were all startled by the pained expression that had settled over his face.

"Mourns?" Mira asked anxiously her gaze darting between the Dragon and Natsu, a sense of foreboding settling over her as the previously aggressive creature lowered his head and she was taken aback by the oddly human expression of sorrow in his eyes.

"He has lost his mate," the Dragon replied softly, unaware of the horror and sorrow that his words had set flowing through the gathered Fairy Tail mages. Now that the Dragon-slayer's control over him had faded he could feel the instinctive pull to help the mage crouched a short distance away, but he made no move to act as he caught subtle movement in the flames beyond the downed Dragon-slayer. Atlas Flame had already sided with the boy once and he knew that he would help him with this, and besides he could already feel himself beginning to fade away from this world.

"Gray?" Lucy whispered, tears already trickling down her cheeks as she turned to look at the two Dragon-slayers who merely nodded silently in response to the unspoken question, and this time she was unable to hold back the sob that broke free. Beside her Mira had dropped silently to her knees, her shoulders shaking as she tried desperately to rein in her tears as she tried to contemplate a world without the Ice mage.

FTFT

Gray had paused briefly when the huge fiery plume had lit up the night sky, and he could feel the ground beneath his feet trembling from the aftereffects of the explosion and his eyes widened as realisation settled over him.

"Natsu," he breathed and before he was even aware of it he was moving onwards once more, but now he had a set destination in mind and he found himself speeding up. _Wait for me Natsu_ he whispered in his mind, hoping against hope that it would find some way to make its way to Natsu through the sealed off bond.

FTFT

The watching mages were startled out of their grief-stricken state as they finally spotted the movement in the flames surrounding the gate, and they all tensed as Atlas Flame emerged although they quickly realised that he was beginning to fade around the edges. A quick glance at Zirconis showed that he was in a similar state, and they realised that both Dragons were beginning to fade away as the Eclipse magic began to disappear from their world. For a moment the Fire Dragon seemed to consider them and then seemingly dismissing them he turned his head towards Natsu, and they all swore that they could see grief cross his face before he carefully moved towards the unmoving Dragon-Slayer.

"Leave them be," Laxus said softly reaching out to lay a hand on Mira's shoulder as the Take-over mage made to move forwards, clearly worried by the proximity of the Fire Dragon to Natsu who made no sign of realising the danger that he might be in.

"But…"

"A Dragon cannot continue to live without his mate," Zirconis spoke up softly, and Mira and Lucy turned horrified eyes towards the Dragon and they could tell from his expression that he was deadly serious in what he was saying.

"No…Natsu," Lucy cried whirling back towards with her friend, fully intending to go to him and stop this madness…they had already lost Gray, they couldn't lose Natsu as well…but before she had gone more than a step or two a hand had wrapped itself around her arm trapping her in place. "Let me go!" She hissed frantically turning on whoever had grabbed her with a furious expression, only to freeze as she found herself staring into Wendy's tearful eyes.

"I don't want to lose him either," the youngest Dragon-slayer said in a wavering voice, her face twisting as she tried desperately to hold back her tears. "But you have to understand how much pain he must be in right now?"

"But that's no reason to throw away his life!" Lucy protested although there was less heat in her voice and she made no attempt to escape Wendy's hold.

"It is for a Dragon," Wendy whispered as she turned her gaze back towards Natsu, remembering the sorrow that had flooded her when his cries had rung out over the city and knowing that what she had felt had been a mere taste of what he was currently experiencing and something in her expression made Lucy sag in defeat.

Silently they watched as the Dragon approached Natsu, knowing what they might be about to witness but unable…or unwilling to let their nakama face this on his own.

FT

"Natsu," Atlas Flame rumbled as he crouched over the Dragon-slayer, ignoring the fact that his body was already beginning to fade around the edges as he focused on the child that had acknowledged him as family such a short time ago. "Natsu look at me," he ordered softly, unsure of whether or not the boy was already too far gone to hear his words, but after several long seconds Natsu glanced up at him. Dark amber eyes that were filled with such agony that the ancient dragon felt his own heart clench at the sight, it was a pain that he would never have wished on his worst enemy let alone on the child of his dear friend.

"I lost him," Natsu mumbled sounding completely lost himself, barely aware of the dragon towering over him even as he stared into the almost mesmerising flames that covered him. "I lost Gray…I lost him…"

"Natsu," Atlas Flame said softly, lowering his head to the ground so that he was level with the Dragon-slayer and slowly Natsu turned his head to look at the Dragon properly and something akin to understanding dawned in the burning amber eyes.

"Help me," Natsu whispered faintly and the Dragon closed his eyes for a moment even though he had anticipated the request, it hurt to know that the only thing that he could do to help the boy now was to offer him an escape from his pain.

"Very well," he agreed softly, and there was a faint relaxing in Natsu's tense posture at the words and the Dragon-Slayer bowed his head in relief at the Dragon's agreement.

_Soon…soon I will be with you Gray…Wait for me._

FTFT

Gray's chest was burning as he dashed towards where the Eclipse door had been, feeling every ache and pain from the tournament and battle as he forced himself to keep running even as he constantly flung himself at their mental bond with no success. The darkness sealing it off seemed to be growing deeper and colder, and some instinctual part of him realised that he was slowly losing Natsu, he just didn't know how it was happening and no matter what he tried he was unable to get through to the Dragon-Slayer.

Finally the gate came into sight and he could see the small group of people that were gathered a safe distance from the gate, and he could easily pick out his guild-mates amongst the group. He was about to yell out to them when his gaze moved past them to land on the scene they were all watching, and suddenly his heart was in his mouth as he realised exactly who the crouched figure on the ground was.

Pain…Fear…Longing…They all washed over him as he stumbled to a halt, drinking in the sight of the obviously alive Dragon-slayer as he realised just how much he had feared that he was already too late. However, his relief was short lived as he finally took notice of the Fire Dragon that was towering over his Mate, and for a wild moment he wondered why none of their nakama was trying to interfere…but then Gajeel's panic came back to him and his eyes widened in horror as he realised just what Natsu was planning on doing.

"NATSU!" He screamed as he bolted forward, terror lending him speed as he shot forwards, desperately renewing his attempts to break through their bond. However, the block refused to yield and the Dragon-Slayer had given no outward sign of hearing him, even though the watching group had turned as soon as they heard his voice. He paid no heed to their frantic shouts or emotional expressions as he tore past them, his entire world narrowing down to Natsu.

"NATSU!" He hollered again, although this time in sheer terror as he saw the Dragon raising a flaming paw over his crouched mate, instinctively realising what was about to happen and feeling his heart break as Natsu made no attempt to escape what would be fatal blow if it struck. "ICE MAKE: SHIELD!" He roared, knowing that an ice barrier would have little effect against those flames, but hoping that it would at least distract the Dragon long enough for him to reach Natsu's side and come up with something else to protect his Mate.

The sudden appearance of the barrier had startled him, and Atlas Flame reared back in surprise, his blow missing his intended target by a narrow margin and instead shattering the fragile shield into a million pieces. It was enough time to for Gray to close the distance between them and without hesitation he sprang between the pair, trying not to flinch as he felt the full force of the heat coming off the Fire Dragon.

"Don't hurt him!" Gray yelled desperately spreading his arms wide in a futile attempt at staving off the attack he was sure to come. To his surprise the Fire Dragon froze at his action, and he realised a moment later that the creature was sniffing the air with an expression of confusion on his face.

"You smell like him," Atlas Flame said in surprise as he lowered his head to peer at the mage that had stepped in between him and Natsu, impressed with the human's courage and intrigued by his scent…for a scent to be this mingled usually indicated that they were a mated pair, but Natsu was showing no sign of recognition towards the human mage stood between them and he narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Who are you?"

Gray blinked in surprise at the words and question before tilting his head to peer back at Natsu, the Dragon-Slayer had still made no effort to move from his position on the ground and the Ice Mage wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around his Mate but he knew that he had to deal with this first.

"He's my mate," Gray said boldly, trying to fill his voice and expression with everything that statement meant to him as he met the Dragon's gaze without hesitation.

Atlas Flame could feel the sincerity pouring off the mage in front of him, see the devotion and love shining in the dark eyes as he proclaimed his status. He had no idea why Natsu was unable to realise that his Mate was still with him…nor did he understand the lack of recognition that the Dragon-Slayer was showing, but he had no doubt that the Ice Mage was telling the truth and he felt relief wash over him as he realised that this Dragon-child would be able to live on after all. Satisfied he bowed his head, no longer battling against the magic trying to pull him back to his own time as he peered down at Natsu with soft eyes.

"I am glad son of Igneel," Atlas Flame murmured softly before fading away completely, and Gray felt some of the tension ease out of his body even though it was clear that Natsu still wasn't with him as the Dragon-slayer was staring at the space where the Dragon had been with a devastated expression seemingly unaware that Gray was standing right there in front of him.

Gray turned back to Natsu once the last traces of the Dragon had vanished, his expression falling as he took in how broken the Dragon-slayer looked and noting with concern not only the fact that Natsu had yet to lose his draconic characteristics but also the many injuries marring his body…it was a miracle the other teen was still conscious, although he had a feeling that he wouldn't be for much longer and he instinctively knew that he had to make Natsu realise he was still here before that happened…otherwise the other would have no motivation to come back to him.

"Natsu?" He called softly as he slowly closed the gap between them, dropping down so that he was at eye-level with his Mate, his heart breaking anew as he saw the devastation in the olive eyes that were refusing to focus on him. "Natsu please look at me," he begged, reaching out to cusp a pale cheek with a trembling hand in the hopes of gaining the Fire Mage's attention. "Natsu!"

FTFT

AN: The references to Natsu's reactions to Acnologia are referring to events that are still to come in Dragon Season.

Also rewatching Ultear's sacrifice…has reduced me to a sobbing mess yet again…I seriously love that woman!

As a final note Dragon Season should be updated tomorrow, I had hoped to have it done tonight, but this chapter has taken longer to complete than I thought it would.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for the amazing reviews, follows and favourites.

Disclaimer: As always Fairy Tail and its amazing characters don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them.

FTFT

Previously:

_Gray turned back to Natsu once the last traces of the Dragon had vanished, his expression falling as he took in how broken the Dragon-slayer looked and noting with concern not only the fact that Natsu had yet to lose his draconic characteristics but also the many injuries marring his body…it was a miracle the other teen was still conscious, although he had a feeling that he wouldn't be for much longer and he instinctively knew that he had to make Natsu realise he was still here before that happened…otherwise the other would have no motivation to come back to him._

"_Natsu?" He called softly as he slowly closed the gap between them, dropping down so that he was at eye-level with his Mate, his heart breaking anew as he saw the devastation in the olive eyes that were refusing to focus on him. "Natsu please look at me," he begged, reaching out to cusp a pale cheek with a trembling hand in the hopes of gaining the Fire Mage's attention. "Natsu!"_

FTFT

Now:

"Please come back to me…" Gray whispered when the Dragon-slayer gave no hint of responding even slightly to his voice, his eyes burning fiercely as he gently cradled Natsu's face between his hands, staring into the blank amber eyes in the hopes of spotting even the slightest spark of life. His mind was racing as he desperately tried to work out what he could say or do to draw the Dragon-slayer back to him.

He knew without a doubt that the usual way of knocking sense into Natsu – a good punch, was out of the question in this situation. In the last couple of moments all colour had drained out of the Dragon-slayer's face and it was clear that he wasn't going to be awake for much longer and Gray had no intention of speeding up the process. On top of that he knew from experience that when Natsu was this tightly fused with his Dragon that any physical touch that showed the slightest hint of violence would be treated as an enemy attack, and not only did he not want to be on the receiving end of the Dragon's fury, but he knew that Natsu would not be able to forgive himself if he hurt the Ice Mage.

With shaking fingers he gently brushed at the tears that were silently falling from Natsu's eyes, but as fast as he wiped them away they were replaced with fresh ones and it was taking all his strength not to add his own. He had never been able to stand the sight of Natsu's tears, not even when they younger and barely capable of having a civil conversations…half of the fights he had initiated with the Dragon-slayer had to be distract him when Natsu had been sad about Igneel. That desire had only grown since then, to the point where he would he do anything…anything at all if it would stop Natsu's tears.

"Natsu you need to calm down so we can go home," he said softly, trying to keep his voice calm and even as he watched closely for even the slightest flicker of awareness. "We're officially the strongest guild in Fiore now, there are going to be so many jobs flooding in and we can have our pick of them…maybe we can get a well-paid one and go away for a vacation? A holiday just for the two of us…" _How long had it been since just the two of them had done something? With everything that had happened since the S-class trials there had been no time, and now staring into the blank olive eyes all Gray could do was regret that fact._

FT

"Why isn't he reacting to Gray?" Lucy asked softly keeping her voice barely above a whisper, afraid to risk disturbing Gray's attempts to get through to the Dragon-Slayer as she turned worried eyes towards Wendy. The youngest Dragon-slayer was watching the pair with teary eyes, and her expression as she turned to look at Lucy made the Celestial Mage swallow hard and take a nervous step backwards. "Wha…?"

"The Salamander's retreated into himself," a gruff voice came from behind them and they whirled around to find that Gajeel and Levy had joined them, the latter pressed so closely to the Dragon-slayer's side that it would have been impossible to even slip a piece of paper between them, not that Gajeel looked as though he was going to complain.

"What do you mean?" Mira asked with a worried frown, glancing back at where Gray was still desperately talking to Natsu in a low voice before turning back to the other Dragon-slayer's. She could see the concern and fear in Gajeel's eyes as he also glanced at the pair, and that frightened her more than anything, the Iron Dragon-slayer only ever looked like that when things were at their worst.

"I'm guessing that when Gray fell, Natsu-san's human part retreated allowing the Dragon to take over," Wendy was the one to reply, her voice soft and barely above a whisper, a shiver working its way through her as she remembered the sensation of her own Dragon surging to the front in response to Natsu's grief. It had been a terrifying sensation, and she couldn't imagine how Natsu must be feeling if he truly was buried beneath the Dragon.

"Wait…so something did happen to Gray?" Lucy demanded, her eyes darting back to the Ice mage and raking him over to check that he wasn't hiding anything more serious than the injuries they could currently see.

"According to Lyon and the others he took an attack that was meant for Juvia," Levy explained quietly, tightly squeezing Gajeel's hand as though to reassure herself that he was really there before continuing. "It was a fatal attack…he took multiple blows including one through the head."

"Then how…" Lucy muttered and then her eyes widened in understanding as she recalled the strange vision that had made her change her path. "That shift in time? But why doesn't Natsu seem to be aware of the change?" Even if he had retreated into himself, the shift had given them a brief but unmistakable glimpse into the future…and yet it didn't seem that he had even questioned what was happening.

"I think he was buried too deep by that point," Gajeel replied, his voice more gentle than they had ever heard it and both Laxus and Wendy nodded in agreement at his words. It was the only way for Natsu to have avoided the same awareness that had seemingly washed over every other person in the battle (of course later they would find that the effect had been much more widespread than that), and they mourned for the fact that Natsu's own magic had caused him to suffer much more than he had needed to.

"But surely having Gray standing right there in front of him would tell him that something has changed?" Mira asked in confusion, she could understand Natsu being stopped from detecting the shift in time…after all if it wasn't for the fact that they had all experienced it she might have doubted it herself…but to have physical proof right in front of him and yet to show no sign of realising the truth was something she didn't understand.

"He's probably afraid that it's a trick," Gajeel said with a frown, knowing that if he was in the Salamander's place that he would be terrified to trust something that went against what his Dragon was saying. "Can you imagine how much it would hurt if he trusted what was in front of him only to discover it was an illusion or something…?"

"But…" Lucy began to protest…how on earth were they meant to bring Natsu back to himself if he wasn't even willing to give his own senses a chance.

"Trust in Gray, he's brought Natsu back to himself before, he can do it again," Gajeel stated firmly cutting across her protest, although the glance he exchanged with Wendy and Laxus was much more doubtful than his words…after all, last time Natsu had known that Gray wasn't dead…

FTFT

Natsu had wanted to howl with despair when the form of Atlas Flame had disappeared before his eyes, taking with him the easiest escape from the pain gnawing at his heart. He was vaguely aware that another, much smaller figure had appeared in front of him but he couldn't find it in himself to focus on them…a small part of his mind guessed that it was one of his guild-mates now that the battle was over, and he found himself retreating ever deeper, terrified of what they might try to say to him to stop what path he had to take.

"…_and go away for a vacation? A holiday just for the two of us…."_

He froze in his efforts to mentally escape when quiet words drifted through the haze filling his mind, and something stirred in the depths of his mind…_he knew that voice, knew it better that he knew his own…_ But how? How could that be possible? His inner dragon was howling, trying to draw him away from the teasing flame of hope but despite that he could feel it pulling on him, and despite his fears he let a little bit of awareness creep back…ready to retreat the second he detected that even something was even slightly out of place.

FT

Gray let out a low noise that was part way between a sob and a laugh of relief when something finally flickered in the depths of the olive eyes, it wasn't quite awareness or recognition, but there was a hint of life in them that had been missing before and he let a spark of hope take hold.

"Natsu?" He questioned quietly, and very slowly the Dragon-slayer blinked and as he watched with hopeful eyes Natsu's eyes began to focus on his face and he held his breath, terrified that the slightest wrong move on his part might send Natsu fleeing back inside himself.

"Gr…ay?" Natsu whispered disbelievingly as he gazed into painfully familiar dark eyes, noting the pain and fear whirling in them and instinctively wanting to chase those emotions away and let the glint of hope buried beneath them come to the forefront. Unconsciously he raised a trembling hand and Gray stilled at the gesture, forcing an encouraging smile as Natsu reached out warily towards him, hesitating for a moment before closing the last of the gap between them and brushing his too-warm fingers against the Ice Mage's cheek.

Startled to find chilled flesh beneath his touch Natsu snatched his hand back with a sharp cry, only to freeze as a cold hand grabbed hold of it and held on tightly preventing him from retreating completely. The Dragon-slayer let out a low whine of distress when he realised he couldn't escape, and his dazed eyes were darting wildly around trying to find an escape route and refusing to focus on the one holding him in place. Terrified that if he did it would reveal that it was all an illusion, and unable to bear the thought of losing Gray all over again if that was the case.

"Damn it Natsu!" Gray cried out, knowing that the longer it took to get through to Natsu the more chance there was of losing the Dragon-Slayer, it had been close on Tenroujima, but back then Natsu had wanted to come back…this time the Fire mage wasn't sure if there was something to come back to. "Look at me! Smell me! Hear me! Use those Dragon-Slayer senses you're so proud of!" He knew he was being harsh, but he would have time to be gentle once he'd got Natsu to actually realise he was still here with him.

"_Look at me! Smell me! Hear me! Use those Dragon-Slayer senses you're so proud of!"_ Natsu blinked as the barked order broke through his hazy mind, and despite his own doubts he found himself obeying as he heard the pain underlying the voice that had shouted it. He had already touched and seen the mage holding onto him, and it was the voice that had drawn him out and yet he knew that those aspects were the easiest to be copied…either by another mage or his own mind…but scent was harder to imitate.

Slowly he took a cautious sniff of the air, waiting for his nose to be assailed by a scent that would cause this illusion to come crashing down around him. Instead a second later his senses were assailed by the scent that was uniquely Gray…the smell of fresh snow and winter pine, underlain by his own deeper ashy scent that had become intimately interwoven with Gray's scent shortly after he had gone into season…it was the scent of home, and fresh tears prickled at his eyes as he realised that there was no one who could imitate this scent to this level.

"Gray?" Natsu blinked again as he finally managed to force his voice past suddenly frozen lips and slowly his gaze drifted up to meet the Ice Mage's, and Gray wanted to weep with relief when awareness began to seep back into the unnatural amber eyes, instead he forced himself to stay calm as the Dragon-Slayer's eyes focused on him properly. "Gray? But…but…Gray?" Confusion and pain swirled in his voice, but what Gray seized onto was the brief flicker of desperate hope that passed across Natsu's face as the Fire Mage stilled in his attempts to escape.

"Yeah I'm here Natsu, I'm here," Gray murmured as he blinked rapidly in an attempt to hold back the tears that were threatening to burst free at any moment, knowing that if he fell apart now there was still a chance he would lose the other teen.

"I lost you," Natsu whimpered out, sounding and looking incredibly child-like as he stared at Gray with huge, teary eyes. Despite that Gray felt hope bubbling up in his chest as he saw the amber in his mate's eyes slowly beginning to fade back to the usual olive colour, whilst the hand he was still clinging to was slowly losing its scaly covering. "I lost you…it was dark…you w..weren't there…I lost you," Natsu was rambling now, a lost expression on his face as his tears began to trickle

"Only for a minute," Gray murmured softly and slowly he stepped forward even as he pulled the confused Dragon-slayer towards himself, wrapping his arms tightly around the other as they met in the middle and wincing as the other stiffened in his embrace. Still he made no move to lessen his hold on the other teen, and every so slowly he felt Natsu beginning to relax into the hug.

FT

"He did it, he got through to him," Wendy breathed in relief as she watched the pair embrace, finally losing control of her tears although she made no move to brush them aside as they trickled down her cheeks. Glancing down she was startled to find that her hands were trembling violently, and she realised just how much she had feared that she was about to lose them both and this time she couldn't hold in her sniffle.

"Easy short-stuff," Gajeel said soothingly moving across to her side and resting a gentle hand on her head, Levy had followed and after offering her a comforting smile the Solid-script mage pulled the younger girl into a gentle hug. The offered comfort broke down the last of her resistance and Wendy began to quietly sob as she pressed deeper into the hug.

"Will Natsu be okay now?" Lucy asked softly, her own eyes brimming with tears as she watched Natsu and Gray who were showing no signs of breaking apart any time soon.

"It'll take a while," Gajeel replied grimly glancing across at her, deciding that she didn't need to know that they would be lucky if Natsu ever fully recovered from what had happened…the pain of losing a Mate wasn't something that could be easily forgotten…his eyes darted back to Levy at that thought, the events of the day making his normal protectiveness rise tenfold. Raising his eyes he briefly met Laxus who had a solemn expression on his face, and he guessed that the older Dragon-slayer had guessed at what he hadn't said.

"It's Natsu," Laxus said simply breaking the look and glancing across at the Celestial mage who looked slightly startled at the faith she could hear in his voice, before a wan smile appeared on her face and she nodded in agreement…Yes, it was Natsu…Natsu who could bounce back from everything and anything.

FT

Gray was unsurprised when Natsu slumped completely against him a short while later, quickly moving to support the other teen before carefully lifting him to his arms despite the movement pulling on his own injuries. The Dragon-slayer murmured uneasily for a second at the motion before shifting slightly so that he could press his head against Gray's chest, his ear pressed against where the Ice Mage's heart was beating steadily, drawing comfort and strength from the sound that he had thought that he would never hear again.

"Natsu? Are you okay?" Gray asked anxiously, wanting to make sure that it wasn't anything more serious than the Dragon-slayer's wounds finally catching up with him…they were serious enough, but given the way their luck had been going he had to make sure.

"Hmm…" Natsu mumbled blearily as he slowly opened his eyes to peer up at Gray, and it was clear that he was struggling both to stay awake and focus as he blinked heavily. "'M okay, j-just tired," he managed to reply eventually once it registered what the Ice mage had been asking, and he winced slightly at the slight catch in his voice knowing without a doubt that Gray would have caught it and sure enough the arms holding him tensed slightly.

"Sure," Gray replied after a moment and it was clear from his tone of voice that he didn't complete believe the Dragon-slayer, but Natsu was relieved when he didn't push the issue any further, although he realised that they would have to talk about it later. He knew that he was nowhere being all right, even the fact that Gray was here and holding him was doing little against the remembered pain and darkness in his mind…but there was no way he was ready to discuss it…all he wanted to do was be close to his Mate and to try and forget even briefly the horrible time when he had lost everything.

"Gray…"

"Shh I get it," Gray said gently cutting across his hesitant words, one hand shifting to gently encourage Natsu to return his head to its previous location over his heart and the Dragon-slayer was only too willing to obey the silent command. "Rest easy, I'll look after you."

Natsu wanted to protest the final promise, after all he was the one that should be looking after Gray, but he couldn't find the strength to argue. The steady beat of Gray's heart beneath his ear was like a siren song and he felt himself pressing even closer to it, feeling his eyes beginning to drift shut once more as the sound filled his world, sending him drifting off into a hazy, half-awake state and he didn't even react when he felt Gray beginning to walk.

FT

The watching group had stirred as soon as they saw Gray beginning to head in their direction, Natsu held protectively in his arms. It had alarmed them all when they had seen the Dragon-slayer collapse, only the seeming lack of panic in Gray's reaction and the fact that Natsu had managed to respond to whatever Gray had asked had stopped them rushing up to the pair. Now though Lucy made to move forward to meet them as they approached.

"Stay back," Gajeel cautioned reaching out to stop the Celestial mage with a surprisingly gentle hand, before glancing around warningly at the others. "Natsu won't react well to others being too close at the moment, you need to give him some space," he explained seeing the question in their eyes, and sighing slightly when he saw the hurt that accompanied the realisation as his words registered. He knew how hard it was for them to stand back when their nakama was in pain, but he wanted to do anything he could do to stop Natsu having to experience anymore pain and distress today.

"What about his injuries?" Laxus asked with a hint of concern in his voice as he studied the barely conscious Dragon-slayer cradled protectively against Gray's chest, even at this distance it was clear that Natsu was in dire need of medical attention. "He looks like he could use some of Wendy's help," he added glancing across at the young girl who was looking equally worried, having finally pulled away from Levy and Gajeel although her face still bore the evidence of her tears.

"I doubt he'll even let me close at the moment," she said softly in a sad tone, making no attempt to move closer as Gray drew level to them, even though her healer instincts were screaming at her to step forward and help Natsu.

"I'm taking Natsu back to the inn," Gray said softly as he paused to look at them and they were stuck by the pain, fear and anger in his expression, although his eyes were undeniably tender when he glanced down at Natsu who was stirring slightly as he detected the presence of other mages close to his Mate.

"We'll see you later, get him out of here," Gajeel replied as he spotted the movement, unsurprised when a weak growl escaped the injured Dragon-slayer a moment later and he immediately latched onto Levy and pulled her backwards even though he knew Natsu wasn't a threat at the moment.

The growl was enough to jolt Gray into movement, and without saying anything else he obeyed Gajeel's words, picking up his pace as another low growl rang out. As they watched him hurrying away they could see him ducking his head closer to Natsu's, and they guessed that he was trying to calm Natsu's draconic side, although when they looked questionly at the remaining Dragon-slayers they steadfastly looked away and refused to answer…the last thing that Natsu and Gray needed was others intruding on any aspect of their bond at the moment.

FTFT

The journey back to the inn had taken Gray much longer than he had expected, partly because of the destruction that had been wrought on the city during the battle, but also due to exhaustion that had begun to creep through him. His entire body was a throbbing mass of aches and pains, the earlier wounds from the finale of the Games providing a dull background pain to the sharper stabs of pain from his fresher injuries, and on top of that he still hadn't managed to shake off the echo of pain from the blasts that had stolen his life in that brief other future.

Despite that he didn't allow himself to falter, instead focusing on the still form that was curled up against his chest, drawing strength from the fact that Natsu needed him. Still it was with a deep sense of relief that he finally stumbled into the inn, absently noting that even it hadn't been spared by the battle as all the windows on the ground floor had been shattered beyond repair and he was cautious as he made his way over the glass, wincing as it crunched loudly beneath his feet.

He was relieved that no-one else had returned yet and that there was no sign of the inn-keeper or his staff as he didn't feel like talking to anyone at the moment, and he didn't imagine that Natsu would react well to anyone else being around them at the moment, even if they did mean well. Still he knew that they would be lucky if they managed to have much time just to themselves, he had seen the worry in their nakamas' eyes as he passed them and whilst he knew that the other Dragon-Slayers and Levy at least would try and keep everyone at bay, they would only be able to do it for so long before someone…probably Erza, would insist on seeking them out.

Reaching the upper levels of the inn he was happy to discover that the destruction hadn't reached up here, and he quickly headed down the corridor towards the room that he and Natsu shared. Fortunately the door opened easily beneath his touch, and for once he was grateful for the Dragon-slayer's inability to remember that he was meant to lock the door…living out in the middle of nowhere had given Natsu the bad habit of leaving everything unlocked unless something was bothering him and he wanted to be alone.

FT

With the utmost care he gently laid the unconscious Dragon-slayer onto their bed, pausing to briefly brush dirty locks out of Natsu's face before gently brushing his fingers against Natsu's cheek, just trying to convince himself that the Fire mage was really still with him. Finally he stepped back with a sigh and headed for their small bathroom to dig out their medical kit. Realistically he knew that Natsu at least could do with proper healing, but he knew that Natsu wouldn't want to be healed by anyone else at the moment although he had every intention of dragging the Fire Mage to either Wendy or Porlyusica tomorrow; for now though he would do what he could to patch the Dragon-slayer up.

Finally finding the medical kit he quietly returned to the main bedroom, disappointed to see that Natsu hadn't moved in the slightest, although he knew it was probably for the best as even a quick glance was enough to tell him that the Dragon-slayer's injuries were serious and he would be in a lot of pain if he was conscious whilst they were being treated. Laying the kit next to Natsu he reached out and carefully removed the purplish cloth that had been wrapped around the Dragon-slayer's waist, his eyes narrowing as he found further bandaging underneath and he quickly tossed the cloth aside.

He hissed in sympathy as he carefully removed the rough bandages that had been wrapped around the Dragon-slayer, his eyes darkening as he realised that the wounds they had been hiding could very easily have taken Natsu away from him. He had to take a deep, shuddering breath to steady himself before he could even begin to work on the deep cuts, his fingers shaking slightly as he tended them.

"Who did this to you?" He asked his voice barely more than a snarl as he worked slowly and methodically to remove all traces of dirt from the cuts and the area around them. Ideally they could both do with a proper bath, but he knew that it was more important for Natsu to rest for now, so his ministrations would have to do for now.

Once he was satisfied that they were as clean as they were going to be he carefully began to wind fresh bandages around them, stilling for a second when Natsu twitched, pain passing briefly across his face before he stilled once more and he was even more cautious as he finished. Satisfied that they would hold out until he could convince Natsu to see a proper healer, he turned his attention to the less serious injuries marring the other's body, his eyes narrowing as he realised that there was nearly no part of the Dragon-slayer that wasn't at least bruised.

A lesser mage would have been taken out of the battle by even half of these injuries, and yet Natsu had managed to keep fighting and to pull a victory out of the bag despite how bad their situation had been. He knew a large part of that determination had come from the demands placed on the Dragon-slayer by his draconic side, and as he set to work on the other injuries Gray felt the old irritation at the unfairness of the demands Natsu faced coming back with a vengeance. It was worse than usual because he realised just how close Natsu had come to dying because of those demands, and he was forced to halt for a moment as his temper bubbled up, unwilling to risk hurting the other teen even further.

FT

Half an hour later:

By the time he had completely finished with Natsu's injuries e was wilting from exhaustion and wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed next to Natsu, but he knew that he couldn't neglect his own wounds and he didn't fancy the telling off he would get from the others if he did. With a reluctant sigh he set to work undoing the bandages that he had been given at the end of the group battle, which were barely more than useless scraps of fabric by this point, wincing as they brushed against injuries both old and new. A quick glance towards the mirror when they were all off showed him that his entire body was a mass of cuts and colourful bruises, and he knew that it was going to be painful to move for a while.

Despite himself he couldn't stop his gaze lingering on the spots where he knew the attacks that he had taken in Juvia's place had struck, his fingers trembling slightly as he pressed against each place, needing the confirmation even after everything that had happened. Finally he shook his head at his own foolishness…what was the point of worrying about the injuries that didn't even exist? With slightly steadier hands he set to cleaning out his injuries, carefully holding in any noises of pain as he didn't want to disturb Natsu's rest or give him any more reason to worry.

Once he was satisfied that they were adequately clean he carefully rebound the more serious injuries, cursing slightly as he was forced to contort his sore body in order to get them properly in place, but refusing to even consider even seeking out someone else to help him. Natsu couldn't be left alone at the moment…he shuddered as he imagined just how the Fire mage might react if he came to only to find no sign of the Ice mage…Crocus probably wouldn't survive the outburst. Still he was incredibly relieved when he was finally finished, slumping for a moment as he rode out the pain that his efforts had caused.

Eventually the pain had settled down to a background hum, and wearily he forced himself back to his feet, scooping up the remnants of the medical kit and moving it across to the bedside table in case they needed it at a later. Then with heavy steps he moved across to the door and carefully locked it, reluctant to make it easy for anyone to burst in on them even if it was likely to be their nakama that would seek them out. He hadn't heard any sounds that would indicate that the others had come back yet, and he felt slightly guilty as he realised that it probably meant they were out there helping out with the clean-up. Still as he glanced back at Natsu he realised that nothing would make him regret his current position and actions, and he quickly turned and padded back towards the bed…Natsu was the only thing that mattered at the moment.

It was with profound relief that he slipped into the bed next to Natsu, his eyes instantly threatening to drift shut as soon as he head hit the pillow. With the last bit of energy he could summon he managed to shift himself across the bed, curling himself loosely around the Dragon-slayer, aware that they were both to injured to press much closer to each other than that and pulling the covers over them. A small noise escaped Natsu as he tilted his head towards Gray, instinctively seeking out his Mate as a brief flicker of distress flickered over his face and the Ice Mage immediately reached out for the hand lying closest to him.

"I love you," he whispered softly as he loosely intertwined their fingers watching as Natsu's expression soothed out almost immediately at the gentle touch, before finally allowing his eyes to close under the weight pressing down on them and before he was aware of it he had already drifted off to sleep.

FTFT

Several Hours later:

Gray was roused from his exhausted sleep by something moving violently next to him, and blearily he forced his eyes open with an irritated growl fully prepared to lambast whoever had decided to wake him up. However, as soon as his gaze settled on the cause of the disturbance his anger melted away into concern as he watched Natsu twisting uneasily in his sleep, his face shadowed with an echo of the pain and grief that had filled his expression earlier that day and all traces of sleep vanished from the Ice Mage's thoughts.

"Gray…Gray…" Natsu began to mutter, his head tossing violently from side to side and his expression was becoming more distressed by the second and Gray quickly moved across to him, realising that at some point they had moved apart during their sleep, realising that was likely part of the reason for the nightmare breaking through. Despite his earlier concern about their wounds, he realised that there was no way he was going to be able to calm the Dragon-slayer without holding him, so with the utmost care he wrapped his arms around Natsu.

"Natsu I'm here, we're all alright now," he said softly into the closest ear, feeling the tremors that were working their way through the warm body in his arms, and he squeezed gently in the hopes of getting Natsu to realise that he was there. When the Dragon-slayer continued to twist in his arms, his expression becoming more and more distressed as whatever nightmares were plaguing him dug their claws ever deeper. "Natsu! Natsu wake up! Wake up!" Gray ordered more loudly, gently shaking Natsu now in the hopes of drawing him back into the waking world.

"GRAY!" Natsu cried out in panic a couple of minutes later as his eyes shot open, and Gray winced at the pain and fear in the other's eyes as they rose to meet his gaze. With a barely muffled sob Natsu closed the slight gap between them, wrapping his arms so tightly around Gray that the Ice Mage winced as his wounds protested the contact, but there was no way he was going to voice a protest. Not when he could feel a suspicious dampness soaking into the bandages that were level with where Natsu's face was, and the bond between them was humming with such pain that he could feel his own eyes beginning to burn…_was this how Natsu had felt when he thought Gray was gone?_

"Shh I'm here, I'm here," he murmured soothingly into the closest ear and he pressed the Dragon-Slayer tighter against his chest, both hands roaming over the other's back, unsure of whether he was just trying to reassure Natsu or himself as well.

"You're safe?" Natsu asked almost desperately, and Gray realised that whilst he had managed to bring the Dragon-Slayer back to himself earlier he hadn't fully succeeded in driving the doubts and fears from the other teen's mind. He doubted very much that they would ever disappear fully now that Natsu had been forced to experience that pain, but he hoped that in time they would at least fade into the background, but for now all he could do was reassure the Dragon-slayer and hope that at least some of his words penetrated.

"I'm safe, you made sure of that," Gray said reassuringly, with everything that had happened he hadn't had the opportunity to talk to the others and find out exactly what had happened, but just seeing the sheer level of destruction around the Eclipse Gate was enough to tell him that Natsu had been involved. He knew without a doubt that it had been his Dragon-slayer that had saved the day…unfortunately, it didn't seem as though Natsu was as convinced of that fact as he was. "You saved all of us," he added softly, and Natsu made a quiet noise of denial before pressing his face against the Ice Mage's chest.

"That wasn't what I was trying to do," Natsu admitted in a quiet voice and Gray had to strain to hear the words that were being muffled by the Dragon-slayer's current position, but he made no attempt to move Natsu, knowing that the other teen needed the contact. "I just wanted them to pay…I wanted them to hurt…to hurt as much as I…" Natsu trailed off unable to continue, a violent shudder going through him and Gray tensed as he felt the bond between them clouding over and he knew that Natsu was losing himself to the memory of when he thought Gray was dead.

"You wanted them to hurt as much as you were hurting?" He asked softly, relieved when the advancing darkness halted at his words, noting that Natsu had tensed against his chest and he guessed that the Dragon-slayer was expecting to be scolded for his words. "Do you think that I would have been any different?" He asked calmly, and cautiously Natsu withdrew from his hiding place to peer up at him with confused eyes and the Ice Mage winced as he took in the red rims, and the wet trails marring the pale cheeks…_Damn it, I don't want to see your tears anymore,_ he thought to himself before reaching up to brush gently at the tear tracks, desperate to erase the other's pain.

"What do you mean?"

"If I had been in your shoes…if I believed that you were d..gone," Gray hesitated for a second, unable to even voice the idea of Natsu being dead and he felt warm arms tightening their hold on him and he drew strength from that. "Then I would have done exactly what you did," there was no hesitance in the last bit of his statement, only grim certainty and a solemn promise.

He knew without a doubt that if Natsu had fallen in this battle…or if he ever fell in a future battle then there would be nothing that could hold him back from completely destroying whoever had dared to hurt his Mate. He might lack the Draconic instincts that often drove Natsu's reactions to events involving their bond, but he was honest enough with himself to acknowledge that he had more than a hint of darkness in himself, and it was Natsu that kept him human…without that… he was startled out of his dark thoughts by a gentle hand coming to rest on his cheek and he blinked, surprised to find Natsu watching him with a tender expression before realising that he had inadvertently been letting his feelings seep openly though the bond.

"Thank you," Natsu murmured before burrowing back against the Ice Mage, and Gray could hear the unspoken meanings behind the simple words…_Thank you for surviving. For bringing me back…for being here and understanding what I did…Thank you._

"Baka, you don't have to thank me," he scolded gently with no heat in his voice, relieved as he felt the bond beginning to settle, indicating that at least nor now Natsu was letting his words in. There was a wealth of words that he could say, and he knew that sooner or later he would need to say them but for now he was content to just hold Natsu close and give the Dragon-slayer the opportunity to try and sort himself out.

FT

A soft noise broke the silence that had settled over him and Gray glanced down curiously, a soft smile curling his lips as he realised that Natsu had finally given into the pull of his exhaustion and injuries. Gently he reached down to card through the messy pink hair, the Dragon-slayer letting out a small noise of contentment as he pressed closer in response to the ministrations and his expression relaxed even further. The Ice Mage wasn't foolish enough to think that everything between them was resolved, and he knew without a doubt that they had much more serious discussions to come…the image of Natsu kneeling before the Fire Dragon calmly awaiting the blow that would no doubt have been fatal if it had hit filled his mind, and he hastily pushed it aside not wanting his own distress to seep through the bond and disturb Natsu.

"You're still here and so I am, that's all that matters for now," he whispered to the sleeping mage, forcing himself to focus entirely on that thought because for the time being that was all that mattered. Anything else could be dealt with when they were no longer reeling from the events that had nearly torn them apart.

Carefully he eased himself down until he was lying down face-to-face with the Dragon-slayer, shifting over so that they were closely pressed against one another, knowing that distance was more dangerous than their injuries at this point. Gently he tilted his head forward so that he could press a chaste kiss to Natsu's forehead, before curling around the Dragon-slayer so that his head was resting against Natsu's which was pressed against his chest.

"Natsu…" he breathed before his eyes slipped shut once more and he began to drift off, physically and emotionally exhausted, and using the warm presence in his arms to anchor himself as he followed the Dragon-slayer into sleep.

FTFT

A/N: For anyone waiting for updates on Dragon Season, or Dragon Season: Rejection I'm a little bit behind schedule as I ended up doing an extra shift at work but they should be up tomorrow.

I will try and have the next update up by next weekend, but I have a lot on this week and a friend coming to stay so I can't make any guarantees.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you for the amazing reviews, follows and favourites.

Disclaimer: As always Fairy Tail and its amazing characters don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them.

FTFT

The next morning:

The morning was nearly over by the time that Gray was finally able to rouse himself from his sleep once more, pushing himself upright with a weary groan, the entire night had been punctuated by nightmares from both of them and it felt as though he had barely had any sleep whatsoever. The mere thought of actually getting up was enough to make him want to cry, but he knew that the others would be worried about the pair of them and in truth he was worried about them as well. There hadn't been a chance to check that everyone was okay with everything that happened and the fact that his focus had been entirely on Natsu, and now he was feeling slightly guilty about that, although the guilt faded somewhat when he turned his head to look down at Natsu.

The Dragon-slayer was curled tightly into his side, his head resting against Gray's shoulder with his hands wrapped tightly around the Ice Mage's arm in a clear attempt to stop him moving anywhere. What little he could see of Natsu's face showed that the Fire mage was paler than normal and there was a slight frown darkening his face and he let out a low mutter as Gray shifted slightly, the hold he had on Gray's arm tightening at the same time. After how he had acted last night whenever they woke from nightmares it was clear that Natsu was going to be reluctant to let him go anywhere without him for the foreseeable future, and to be honest Gray completely shared that sentiment, shivering as he recalled just how close he had come to losing the other teen.

As though sensing his gaze Natsu began to stir with a faint mewl of protest as he struggled to force his eyes opening, blinking sleepily as he tilted his head in order to peer up at Gray. He started slightly as he found the Ice Mage gazing down at him intently, and he was unable to prevent the faint blush that rose in his cheeks as he ducked his head slightly under the intensity of the dark eyes watching him.

"Gray?" He asked uncertainly when Gray didn't say something, only to pout a moment later when the Ice mage let out a soft chuckle before reaching out to brush cool fingers against his pink cheeks. "Gray?" He repeated more insistently this time, flustered by the amusement he could see in his Mate's face and embarrassed by how easily the Ice mage could make him blush.

"How are you feeling?" Gray asked softly, his amusement fading slightly as he realised that Natsu had still made no move to release him even though normally he would have retreated slightly when he was this embarrassed. At once memory flooded the olive eyes and he quickly reached out to gasp one of Natsu's hands in his own when he saw the remembered pain flashing across the Dragon-slayer's face. "Shh easy it's okay, everything's alright now," he whispered soothingly, unsurprised when Natsu silently pressed closer to him and buried his face against his chest.

Nearly half an hour had passed before the Dragon-slayer finally pulled back to peer up at Gray, and the Ice Mage frowned slightly as noticed how red his eyes were now and the few stray tears that had escaped. With gentle fingers he reached up and brushed them away before pressing a soft kiss against Natsu's forehead and pulling away slightly. As much as he would love to stay up in this room with Natsu all day, and from the way the Dragon-slayer was still clinging to him, he knew that Natsu would prefer that as well…but there was the rest of their friends to consider, and they could both do with some food and proper healing.

"Are you up for going downstairs for a bit?" He asked softly and instantly Natsu tensed in his arms, and he felt a burst of doubt and fear coming through the bond and he narrowed his eyes in concern at the reaction. "Natsu…?"

"I don't want to," Natsu muttered sounding almost child-like as he turned his head to bury it against the Ice mage, and despite his concern, Gray found himself smiling tenderly at the action even as his heart gave a slight pang at the root of this childish need to cling. "Please…not yet…I'm not ready to face the others yet," Natsu added not removing his head from its hiding place, and Gray sighed softly, but his desire to push the issue was rapidly dying in the face of Natsu's reluctance…after everything that had happened he wasn't willing to cause the Dragon-Slayer further pain.

"Alright," he agreed finally in a soft voice, and Natsu lifted his head slightly to peep at him in surprise, having expected his Mate to continue to argue that they should at least go and reassure the others they were okay…not that he felt okay yet. "I'd rather just be here with you," Gray stated honestly in response to the question in the curious olive eyes, and for the first time a weak smile appeared on Natsu's face.

"Can we sleep a bit more?" Natsu asked tentively around a wide yawn, and Gray was quick to agree as the action proved to be contagious and he could feel the long night weighing down on him. He knew that they needed to see about eating at least at some point, but for now at least it seemed as though that was a minor concern and his appetite had been killed by the fear that he could still see lurking in Natsu's eyes.

FT

Quietly they snuggled back down on the bed, with Natsu making a small noise of discontent as they were forced to pull apart to move into a comfortable position and there was a brief of flash through the bond. Making soothing noises Gray was quick to rearrange them so that he could wrap his arms around Natsu, drawing the Dragon-slayer back towards him, and Natsu was quick to burrow back against his chest with a relieved mewl that made the Ice mage frown with concern. _What was it going to take to get Natsu back to his usual self?_ He wondered, the idea that there might be nothing that he could do to help weighing on him.

It didn't take long for Natsu to doze off once more, although the speed at which he fell asleep did raise fresh concerns over his injuries for the Ice Mage, but Gray realised that there was nothing he could do about that for now as it was clear that even in sleep the Dragon-slayer wasn't going to release his hold on him. He had thought that the thoughts and emotions whirling in his mind might keep him awake, but it didn't take long for his own exhaustion and the warmth coming off the Dragon-slayer to draw him towards sleep and his eyes began to slip shut he offered up a prayer that they might get a dreamless sleep.

FTFT

Later that afternoon:

"_NATSU!" He was screaming his Mate's name again and again and yet Natsu was giving no sign of listening to him, and fear raced through him as he watched the giant form of the Fire Dragon looming up over the Dragon-Slayer. "Natsu!" His voice was becoming choked with tears as he realised that there was no way that he was going to be able reach Natsu in time._

_In desperation he brought his hands together as he continued to run, desperate to do something…anything to give him that extra bit of time he needed to reach Natsu, but to his horror there was no spark of magic._

"_What...? Why?" He choked out gazing down at his hands, tears flowing freely down his cheeks when nothing he did produced even a slight chill to the air…his magic had never failed him before…so why? Why was it failing him now when he needed it the most? "Please…" he begged desperately as he returned his gaze to Natsu, and for a moment his heart seemed to stop beating as he watched the Dragon attack…the giant paw descending towards Natsu with nothing to stop it and his whole body went cold as he realised what was about to happen._

"_NO!" He was barely aware of the fact that he was screaming, his eyes wide with horror as he stared at the space where Natsu had been only moments before. His legs gave out beneath him and he sank to the ground, his whole existence being swallowed by the terrifying void that had opened up his heart…Natsu? Natsu couldn't be gone…he couldn't…he…_

FT

Gray jolted upright with a terrified cry still on his lips, his heart pounding frantically in his chest as his eyes darted around wildly searching for the scene that had only seconds before been in front of his eyes…it was only when the room began to come into focus that he realised what had happened…it had been a dream…a nightmare. However, even that knowledge did little to soothe him and he could feel warm tears trickling down his cheeks.

"Hmm…Gray?" The sleepy mumble made him start violently, and he twisted around to look at its source only to freeze as he found himself staring into hazy olive eyes…Natsu. Before he could even think about it he had thrown himself towards the Dragon-slayer, wrapping his arms tightly around the half-awake mage and pulling him into a crushing hold, unaware of the whimper of pain his actions dragged out of Natsu.

For his part Natsu was completely confused by what was going on, all he knew was that he was in a serious amount of pain and that his Mate was currently sobbing into his shoulder and clinging to him as though he might disappear at any moment.

"Gray?" He asked as he felt the surge of emotions coming through the their bond, the force of it clearing the sleep induced haze from his mind and he felt his own breath catch as memories of what happened flooded his mind. However, before he could lose himself in them the Ice mage's arms tightened even more and biting back a sharp cry at the fire that the gesture had sent coursing through him he refocused on Gray. "Shh I'm here," he murmured softly as he wiggled upright until he was able to wrap his own arms around his Mate.

"I…I was too late…" Gray whispered and the Dragon-slayer couldn't prevent the shiver that went through him at the others words…_too late…_he felt nauseous as he recalled how that thought had consumed him and he found himself unable to speak, instead he found himself copying Gray and tightening his hold as he buried his nose into dark hair as he tried to fill his senses with everything that was his Mate. "If I had been even a few seconds later…"

"…I was," Natsu voice was even fainter than Gray's but they were so close that there was no way that the Ice Mage could miss it and he went cold as he realised what his words had meant to the Dragon-slayer. He had nearly been too late, but Natsu had actually had to experience the pain and guilt of being too late…

"I'm sorry….I…"

"Why are you apologising?" Natsu asked pulling back to look at Gray with a confused expression…what did the Ice mage have to apologise for? It hadn't been his fault that he had been caught up in the battle….and that he had…had died. A full-body shudder went through him at that thought and a low whimper slipped free, and Gray's expression darkened at that noise.

"It's because of me that you're feeling like this," Gray said guiltily, he had acted purely on instinct back then to protect Juvia from the incoming attack never even pausing to think how it would affect Natsu…if he had known beforehand what his actions would cause he would have at least hesitated… but then if he had Juvia would be…

"No," Natsu denied instantly refusing to allow his Mate to blame himself for what had happened. "It's because of my draconic instincts…if I had been a normal mage none of this would have happened…"

"But…" Gray wasn't willing to accept such easy absolution, he had seen how Natsu had reacted on Tenroujima when he was nearly caught by Acnologia's attack and yet he had not even considered how much worse that reaction would be if he did die. "Natsu…"

"What?" Natsu asked nervously as he caught the hesitance in his Mate's voice, worry flooding him as he caught the swirling emotions coming through the bond and he tensed as Gray turned intense eyes towards him. "Gray?"

Gray continued to hesitate even though he could feel the worry that was coming of the Dragon-slayer, unsure of whether or not Natsu was ready to really talk about what happened…or if he, himself was ready for the answer for the question that was now dominating his thoughts. However, when Natsu continued to stare at him with nervous eyes he knew that if he backed out now then the Dragon-slayer would just worry himself sick about what hadn't been said.

"It's about…It's…" Gray stumbled over his words and then sighed and took a deep breath, carefully making sure that held Natsu's gaze as he spoke. "Would you really have let that Dragon kill you?" He blurted out and Natsu tensed, his eyes going wide as the question sent pain flashing across his face and Gray immediately regretted asking… "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"No…it's fine," Natsu replied slowly as he lowered his gaze, knowing that he would be unable to bear the expression his answer would put on the Ice Mage's face. "I would have…I was going to," he confessed quietly, not missing the shocked intake of breath or the tremor that went through his Mate as his response registered.

"Why?" There was no missing the pain and horror in Gray's voice, and Natsu winced as he felt Gray's fingers digging into him where the Ice Mage was clinging to him as though still terrified that he might disappear at any moment.

"I…I…" Natsu swallowed hard as for the first time he allowed his thoughts to drift fully back to the time when he had thought that Gray was gone, and this time he was the one to tremble as he recalled the void that had opened up inside him. His inner dragon stirred nervously at the memory, and he had to take a deep breath, grounding himself in the smell of fresh snow and mountain air that Gray always let off. "I couldn't live in a world where you were gone…the second I felt you vanish part of me disappeared too… I wasn't me…I wasn't complete."

"But to go that far," Gray protested weakly, hearing the pain in Natsu's voice as he described how he had felt when he thought that he was dead. "It's…"

"It was instinct," Natsu mumbled, remembering how he had managed to respond to Atlas Flame despite being lost in his grief, knowing instinctively what the Fire Dragon had been going to offer him. "As soon as I knew the ones responsible were gone there was no point anymore, and all I could focus on was finding my way back to you…and I couldn't do that on my own…"

Gray released the tight hold he'd had on Natsu and pulled back slightly, his heart pounding in his chest as he stared at Natsu, the Dragon-slayer's words swirling in his mind as he realised the full impact of what Natsu was saying.

"This will happen again won't it?" Gray asked in a small voice and he forced himself to meet Natsu's gaze as the olive eyes reluctantly rose to meet his gaze. "If…no…when I die, you'll follow me even if it isn't your time?" It wasn't really a question as he knew the answer even before Natsu gave a tiny nod in acknowledgement but he still felt the bottom of his stomach drop out. "If…If I hadn't accepted the bond? Would that have changed all this?"

"NO!" Natsu nearly shouted, desperate fear shooting through him at the Ice Mage's words and he frantically wrapped his arms around Gray as though terrified he was about to disappear in front of his eyes. "No…no…no…please don't say that…please," he couldn't even summon enough rational thought to answer his Mate's question, just the thought of Gray having rejected him back then…and the terrifying idea that he might be thinking of walking away now was enough to send him into a spiral of panic.

"It was just a question!" Gray shouted in alarm in an attempt to cut across the panicked words, cursing himself for speaking so carelessly…he should have known that there was no way that Natsu would be able to take that question calmly in his current condition, and probably even in his normal condition. "I'm not going anywhere! I promise, I promise," he cried as he wrapped his arms back around the Dragon-slayer and pulled him into a crushing hold, his eyes burning as he felt Natsu shaking in his arms and his earlier guilt tripled.

"D…Don't ever ask that," Natsu begged with a sniffled as he slumped against Gray, feeling the comfort and love that Gray was frantically pushing down the bond towards him, his terror slowly beginning to wane as he realised the Ice Mage wasn't going to abandon him there and then.

"I'm sorry," Gray murmured as he pressed his lips into the pink hair, content to hold the Dragon-slayer as he slowly calmed down as he tried to let calmly consider what Natsu had told him…but every time he tried to rationally accept what his Mate was willing to do for him a wild panic threatened to take him over.

He knew that battles like the one they had just endured were unusual, but their guild…and their team in particular had spectacularly bad luck when it came to finding themselves in especially dangerous situations, and he knew that more than once they had come close to death…could he go into those situations now knowing that Natsu would die with him? But, then if he hesitated because of this concern and one of their other nakama paid the price? But what else could they do…they were mages and Fairy Tail was their home and family and he knew that there was no way either of them could turn their back on their current life.

"Gray…" He glanced down at the quiet whisper and made a low questioning noise when he realised that Natsu wasn't looking at him. "I don't w-want it to change things…I want everything to go back to normal when we go home." He was stunned by the request, wondering if Natsu really thought that it would be that easy…but then he picked up on the strain and fear coming from the Dragon-slayer and he knew that Natsu was fully aware that it would not be easy.

"I…" He hesitated for a moment unsure if he could agree to this…could he put this knowledge aside and continue back with their old life. "I can't promise that," he admitted finally and he felt the hurt coming from Natsu and hurried to explain before the Dragon-slayer could work himself into a state once more. "I can't promise that right now, it's too fresh…but I know you're right, we can't let this change things…so I promise to try." Gray hoped that, that would be enough for now as there was no way he could promise anything more when his feelings were in such a disarray and he watched anxiously as Natsu seemed to consider his words.

"Okay," Natsu muttered softly after several minutes had passed and Gray slumped slightly in relief, he could tell that the Dragon-slayer wasn't entirely happy, but at least he was willing to wait and for now that was enough.

FT

Silence had fallen over them after that, but whilst it had been a strange one it hadn't been uncomfortable…rather it was an opportunity for them to gather their own thoughts whilst relaxing in the other's presence. Despite everything though Gray was becoming increasingly aware of the growing hunger in his stomach and his thoughts turned towards how he could convince Natsu that they needed to leave their room, before he could say anything though Natsu tensed before turning his head towards the door and a moment later Gray could hear movement just beyond the door.

"It's Wendy," Natsu whispered after sniffing the air, and Gray frowned slightly as he caught the edge of distrust in his Mate's voice…surely Natsu wasn't worried about Wendy being near them? Of all their guild-mates she and Gajeel were the ones that understood their situation the best.

"Natsu-san, Gray-san I've brought you some food and medicine," the youngest Dragon-slayer's voice came through the door and they could hear the concern in her voice, and releasing his hold on Natsu the Ice mage slipped out of the bed intent on going to open the door to at least reassure her. However, before he had taken a step away from the bed Natsu had reached out to grasp his arm, a low warning growl escaping as he fixed his eyes warily on the door.

"Natsu?" He asked worriedly, reaching up to squeeze the hand holding him in place in what he hoped was a reassuring manner but the Dragon-slayer showed no sign of releasing him and he sighed unsure of what to do.

"It's okay I'm going," Wendy called through the door and Gray realised she had heard what was happening with her sharp ears, and although there was a hint of hurt in her voice the dominant emotion was understanding and he was relieved that she was the one that had come. They heard more motion and Gray could feel Natsu beginning to relax and a moment later he was released, and he guessed that she had moved far enough away for his overprotective Mate to relax.

Quietly he moved to the door and opened it, wincing slightly as he bent down to retrieve the tray that she had left for them, his mouth watering as he caught the tempting smell of stew from the covered bowls. Feeling a spike of emotion through the bond he turned to find Natsu watching him with an anxious expression, and shooting the Dragon-slayer a reassuring look he stepped back into the room, carefully kicking the door shut behind him.

"There it's just us okay?" He asked softly and Natsu nodded silently although he could see the relief in the olive eyes that never left him as he carefully set the tray onto the side table, tossing the medicine and bandages she had brought to one side for now as eating seemed far more important for the time being. With deft fingers he uncovered the bowls of stew before picking one up and carrying it across to Natsu. "Here," he said as he held it out to the Dragon-slayer and with a hint of reluctance Natsu accepted it, and Gray hastily moved to retrieve his own bowl before coming back to sit on the edge of the bed, guessing that Natsu would protest any more distance between them.

The Ice mage fell on the food with a hum of content, realising just how hungry he was as his stomach rumbled loudly lending speed to his efforts. It didn't take long for him to realise that Natsu had yet to start eating and he paused to shoot the Dragon-slayer a concerned look, certain that the other teen must be just as hungry as he was especially given his Mate's usual appetite.

"You need to eat up," he ordered softly and Natsu jolted slightly before raising his eyes from the bowl in his lap to look at Gray.

"I'm not hungry," he muttered only to be contradicted by his stomach rumbling loudly a moment later and Gray arched an eyebrow at him, causing the fire mage to flush slightly and duck his head at being caught in the lie. "I…"

"Eat," Gray said firmly as he bit back a sigh. "Please," he added, allowing a hint of pleading to enter his voice and Natsu glanced back at him before his shoulders slumped in defeat. With obvious reluctance he began to eat, and once he was satisfied that the Dragon-slayer was obeying the Ice mage turned back to his own food….silently pondering just how many other hurdles were ahead of them.

FTFT

"How are they?" Lucy asked as soon as Wendy reappeared at the bottom of the stairs, the Dragon-slayer carefully stepping around some rubble that had yet to be cleared out before turning her attention to the Celestial mage with a small frown.

"I didn't get chance to talk to them, Natsu was growling at me for just being outside the door and I didn't want to upset him further," she admitted and there were startled gasps from the gathered Fairy Tail mages, none of whom could ever recall the Fire mage ever growling or even showing irritation at the younger Dragon-slayer, that was the whole reason they had agreed to her being the one to go up to them.

"Natsu growled at you?" Erza demanded with a hint of anger in her voice, although it was overridden by the worried expression on her face as her eyes drifted upwards. It had taken a lot of convincing by the two Dragon-slayers to stop her going up the night before, and she knew that there was no way she would be fully at ease until she had seen the pair with her own eyes.

"We did warn you that he won't want others around for a while," Gajeel butted in with a stern voice and everyone turned to look at him, they hadn't wanted to believe it when he had said the same thing earlier but now they were ready to listen. "At the moment his dragon will be seeing everyone and everything as a potential threat to his Mate, and that includes us."

"But…" Lucy began to protest but her words died as he shot a glare at her, and she realised that she really didn't know enough about Dragon-slayers and their Mates to comment…but she hated the idea that Natsu could ever see them as a threat.

"I don't think Gray will be much different," Lyon spoke up softly from where he was sat at the bar nursing a drink, having refused to go back until he knew for sure that Gray was fine even though his guild were at another inn. "I've never seen him look as afraid as he did when he realised Natsu was in danger," he added with a frown as he recalled the expression that Gray had worn when shouting that he couldn't reach Natsu. At the time he hadn't really understood what Gray meant, but since the other Dragon-slayers had explained it to him he had felt nothing but concern for the younger mage.

"They're exceptionally close," Gajeel said softly and there was a hint of jealously in his voice, and his gaze was serious as he turned his eyes to the Solid Script mage who was pressed tightly into his side with her arms wrapped around him. "Probably even closer than Levy and me."

"So what do we do?" Erza asked with a scowl, already guessing at what the answer was going to be and hating the idea of doing nothing.

"We wait and let them come down when they're ready," Gajeel said softly as his eyes darted towards the stairs, before letting his gaze pass over the assembled mages to make sure that they were listening to him. "And when they do, you can't crowd them…it's going to take time for Natsu to let people close again, and I can't blame him." The last bit was barely a whisper, and his gaze was intense as he turned his eyes back down to Levy…he couldn't imagine going through the pain of thinking that she had been taken from him, and just the thought of it had made him cling to her since they'd reunited during the battle, never straying more than a few feet from her side. Levy had been more than willing to accommodate the need to cling, and he got the sense that she needed the reassurance from his closeness just as much as he did.

"So we wait," Erza said with a sigh, slumping back into her seat with a defeated sigh as she forced herself to relax.

FTFT


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you for the amazing reviews, follows and favourites.

Disclaimer: As always Fairy Tail and its amazing characters don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them.

FTFT

Three Days Later:

It was the fourth day after the battle that Gray finally managed to convince Natsu that they needed to leave their room to see the others even if it was only for a short while. For the last few days they had been relying on the frequent deliveries of food and medicine to tide them over, and after the first day she had also begun to slip in small notes to let them know how everyone was and what was happening in Crocus in the aftermath of the battle. Gray had been grateful for the information as the worry for the others had been niggling constantly at the back of his mind, and whilst Natsu hadn't shown much outward attention to the notes he knew that the Dragon-slayer was relieved to know that the others were okay.

Still knowing that the others were okay had given them the chance to linger and attempt to recover from what had happened. Gray had been trying to use the time to come to terms with what Natsu had told him, but in all honesty he had made no progress and worse he knew that the Dragon-slayer was aware that he was struggling. Natsu hadn't really said much over the last couple of days, but he had been unrelentingly clingy both awake and asleep, never letting the Ice mage shift far from his side and for Gray it had been an almost welcome distraction although he hated what had caused the change in the other teen's behaviour…but it gave him something to focus on beside the awareness that one wrong move on his behalf could also kill Natsu.

"Do we really need to do this?" Natsu asked grumpily breaking into Gray's thoughts and the Ice mage turned to look at the Fire mage as he gingerly got changed into a fresh set of clothes, carefully pulling the material over still healing cuts and bruises, mindful of the bandages covering the worst of his injuries.

"We can't stay up here forever," Gray replied gently as he took in the mulish expression on the Dragon-slayer's face with a slight sigh, it had been a battle to even get this far and it looked as though Natsu wasn't going to give in and make it any easier for him at this point. "I know you're still bothered by what happened, but we need to at least spend some time with the others. And we need to get Wendy to take a look at that wound," he added with a worried frown as he watched Natsu grasping his side with a pained expression, whilst most of his injuries were healing well that one was still serious and he wouldn't be able to relax completely until they got either Wendy or Porlysuica to have a proper look at it.

"I'm fine," Natsu muttered as he snatched his hand away guiltily, his eyes narrowing as he took in the concerned expression on the Ice mage's face. "Let's go," he added abruptly, suddenly desperate to do anything that would remove that look from Gray's face. The Ice mage blinked in surprise at the abrupt change about before scowling, not trusting Natsu's sudden willingness to leave their room but before he could voice his suspicions a warm hand intertwined with his and he found himself being tugged towards the door.

Ironically it was Gray who found himself hesitating the most in the doorway, suddenly finding the idea of leaving the room that had been their sanctuary for the last few days more daunting that he had expected. Natsu paused as he felt the Ice mage pausing, turning to look back at his mate with a worried expression of his own, which intensified as he took in the mixed emotions in the dark eyes that slowly rose to meet his gaze.

"We could stay," he offered and Gray had to admire how he managed to not sound as though that was the answer he was looking for, although he knew part of it was Natsu adjusting to cater to his whims and worries and a flicker of irritation rose in his chest and it helped him shake off the unexpected hesitance.

"No, we need to do this," he replied firmly, stepping past Natsu and moving to take the lead, his lips turning up slightly as he heard the soft huff of disappointment that escaped the Dragon-slayer, although there was no resistance as he pulled on Natsu's hand leading him forward. "Come on."

FT

They were halfway down the stairs when the sound of voices reached them and Natsu came to an abrupt halt with a sudden tense expression on his face, and through their linked hands Gray could feel the tremor that went through the Dragon-slayer. Hastily he squeezed the warm hand he was holding, focusing on sending soothing thoughts through their bond as he became aware of the turbulent emotions that the other teen was letting off even as he frowned in confusion…he could understand Natsu's clinginess, he was reluctant to be far from the Fire mage after what had happened and his experience had been less devastating…but this reluctance to even face their nakama unsettled him more than anything, but he instinctively knew that questioning it at the moment would only force the Dragon-slayer to shut down.

"Gray…" Natsu mumbled finally, drawing strength from Gray's efforts and finally tilting his head slightly so that he could peer at the Ice mage who shot him an encouraging look. "Stay close…please," he hated how close to begging the request sounded, but he couldn't find the strength to retract it. The idea of being around the rest of the guild was stressing him out as it was…the idea of doing so whilst Gray strayed even slightly from his side was terrifying.

"You don't have to ask," Gray replied quickly, the lack of hesitation reassuring the Dragon-slayer and he offered a weak attempt at a smile only to be rewarded by a real smile from the Ice mage…the first one he had seen since explaining exactly what would have happened if Gray had died, and suddenly things seemed slightly less frightening than before.

With slightly less trepidation he allowed Gray to resume moving down the stairs, following close behind, but trusting that the Ice mage had no intention of leaving him behind and for the first time he allowed his own thoughts to drift towards their nakama…he had been unable to allow his thoughts to wander onto anything but Gray when they'd been alone, and now he felt somewhat bad for that single-minded focus…he could vaguely remember that some of them had been their when he was waiting for Atlas Flame to deliver the final blow, and he blanched slightly as he realised what he must have put them through.

"Everyone will just be happy to see we're okay," Gray spoke up softly interrupting his thoughts, and he blinked in bemusement before glancing at the other with a confused expression. Correctly interpreting the look Gray lifted his free hand and wiggled his fingers next to his head with a gentle expression. "Your thoughts are being rather noisy at the moment."

"Sorry..."

"Don't apologize," Gray interrupted his attempt to do just that with a stern tone, and Natsu blinked at the sudden shift in tone. "I would much rather know than have you hiding things," he explained, not wanting to open the can of worms that was the lingering fear from when the bond between them had completely shut down…of everything from that day, it was that void that haunted him the most and he would much rather have Natsu's thoughts and emotions blaring out in the back of his mind than even a slight wall between them.

"Oh," Natsu wasn't entirely sure how to respond to that, and he was distracted by the sudden rush of sorrow coming from his Mate and his eyes narrowed in concern. Before he could ask about it Gray's expression cleared and the bond settled back into a muted hum, and although he made a small noise of discontent to indicate that he was aware that Gray was hiding things from him he didn't say anything. Instead he allowed the Ice mage to resume leading him down the stairs, making sure to follow as closely possible on his heels.

FT

"Natsu-san!" Wendy cried as she spotted them as they finally entered the main room, and before anyone else could even process that they had arrived she had launched herself across the room. Gray quickly stepped to the side to give her access, although he made sure to hold onto Natsu's hand as the young girl wrapped her arms tightly around the older Dragon-slayer missing his wince as she accidently caught his wounded side.

"I'm alright Wendy," Natsu murmured awkwardly as he laid his free hand gently on her head as he felt her beginning to cry softly against him, her face buried against his chest and he shot a helpless look at Gray who shrugged, slightly taken aback by the force of her reaction…just what they managed to miss in the last few days?

"Sure you are," a sarcastic voice grumbled out, and the pair looked up in surprise to find that Gajeel had joined them and Gray was surprised to see open concern in the crimson eyes as they settled on Natsu….and it made him uneasy, did the Dragon-slayer know something about Natsu that he didn't? He opened his mouth, determined to find out before anything else could blindside them but he was cut off by Natsu speaking up and he quickly turned his attention back to his mate.

"I…" Natsu started to protest weakly although his voice failed as he took in the disbelieving expression written across Gajeel's face, and he sighed as he shot a side wards glance at Gray. "I will be," he amended after a moment, the memory of the void looming up for a moment and Gray catching the flare of darkness through their bond swiftly moved back to his side relieved when Wendy stepped aside with a worried expression.

"Easy," he whispered soothingly, releasing his hold on Natsu's arm in order to reach up and wrap an arm around the Dragon-slayer's shoulders and draw him closer. For a moment the darkness lingered, and just as he was starting to worry that Natsu might be slipping too far back into the memories, but just as he was about to give into his panic he felt the darkness beginning to recede, although it didn't disappear completely much to his displeasure. "Natsu…?"

"I'm okay," Natsu mumbled even as he lent into Gray, unable to summon the energy necessary to hide how much he needed the Ice mage's support. Taking a deep breath he focused on pushing everything from that day to the back of his mind, although given the disappointment coming from Gray he could tell that he wasn't being overly successful.

"Wendy could you take a look at him for me?" Gray asked once he realised that Natsu wasn't going to get any calmer for the time being, and hoping that having his injury taken care of would at least make him feel better physically if nothing else. Natsu shrank back against him as Wendy immediately stepped forward with a concerned frown, but then he sighed in defeat as Gray gently ushered him into a nearby seat.

"What happened?" Wendy asked as she crouched down beside the now seated fire mage, her eyes intent as Gray gently pulled Natsu's vest aside to reveal the bandages wrapped snuggly around his midriff and her nose twitching as she caught the scent of dried blood…it hadn't escaped her notice that they had been getting through all the medical supplies that she had been taking them, but she had hoped that it was just due to the number of minor injuries and yet given the worry lurking in Gray's eyes she could tell that wasn't the case.

"I…" Gray paused as he realised that he didn't actually know, he knew that it wasn't from the battle over the city as the Dragon-slayer had very haltingly told him about that fight when he had been influenced by his perceived loss but it had never occurred to him to ask what else had happened…everything else seemed to have faded in comparison to that final battle.

"It was Future Rogue," Natsu spoke up in a soft voice and there was loathing in his voice as he spoke about his opponent and Gray and Wendy exchanged uneasy looks having never heard him sound like that before, Gajeel on the other hand looked unsurprised, knowing that he would feel the same if he was in the Fire mage's shoes. "It was after Lucy…the other Lucy died and you guys went on ahead of me, he got a good shot in…there was no way for me to block it." He shivered as he spoke, remembering the sheer fury and grief that had filled him when the future Lucy had died and he realised that he had not thought of her since the moment he felt Gray fall and he lowered his gaze with guilt at that realisation.

"This is bad," Wendy muttered more to herself than anything, having been carefully peeling away the bandages as he spoke although it had been a fight to keep her hands steady as she realised that this had happened because they had left him to fight Rogue on his own. Her eyes narrowed as she focused on the deep wound, she could see clear signs of healing from what she guessed were Gray's efforts to look after it but it was still in a bad state. "You should have had me or Porlysuica-san look at it sooner," she added sternly as she shot a glare at Gray who winced at her tone but shrugged helplessly before tilting his head towards Natsu who was still carefully staring at the ground and she sighed in understanding. The Ice mage had probably been trying to convince Natsu of that very fact for the last few days.

"Can you fix it? Or should I go get the old woman?" Gajeel asked gruffly, deciding it was best to break in before an argument could break out although he could already see that Wendy was backing down on the issue.

"I can do it," Wendy replied at once and his lips tilted slightly at how offended she sounded before nodding in approval, in all honesty he doubted that Natsu would be alright with the older healer being around…it was clear that he was uneasy with just their nakama around, and he knew them a lot better than Porlysuica. "Stay still," she added turning her attention back to Natsu and waiting until his gaze flicked up to meet hers and he gave a minute nod to show his understanding. Satisfied that he would obey she placed both hands over the wound and focused, taking in small but steady breathes as she let her magic get to work.

FT

The entire room had fallen silent when she went to work and Gray was suddenly highly aware that not only were they now the centre of attention, but that they had been so wrapped up in greeting the two Dragon-slayers that they had missed the rest of their nakama. He could see Lucy and Erza sitting nearby and he could tell that they fighting to stay where they were for now, but he was sure that as soon as Wendy was done the two girl's would pounce on him. The majority of their guildmates were scattered in small groups across the room, although he noted with a small sense of relief that there was no sign of Juvia for the moment…he didn't like to imagine how Natsu might react to her at the moment with his draconic side still so messed up.

However, he was surprised to spot Lyon sitting quietly by the bar with a solemn expression and for a moment a ripple of unease went through him. Just as he felt Natsu beginning to react Lyon raised his eyes to meet him, and he blinked as he realised that it was guilt more than anything that he could see in the older Ice mage's eyes and whilst he was relieved that it wasn't grief he realised that they needed to talk and soon. However, he was drawn from his thoughts by the soft noise of protest coming from Natsu and he turned back to his Mate just in time to see him backing away from Wendy.

"No," Natsu said abruptly and he shifted away from her as he felt the soft tingle of her magic spreading out to the rest of his body, and he hastily grasped her hands as she glanced up at him in surprise at the sudden reaction. "Let everything else heal on its own…Gray…"

"I'm fine," Gray interrupted sternly as he realised what Natsu was about to say, raising his hands defensively as Wendy whirled towards him. "My injuries are all minor, don't waste your strength on them," he reassured her and after giving him the gimlet eye for a moment later she nodded and relaxed, although he knew that she would be keeping an eye on him to make sure that he hadn't been hiding anything.

"But…"

"I'm fine," Gray repeated turning to glare at Natsu and for a moment there was a spark of defiance in the olive eyes, and the Ice mage wanted to cheer at the glimpse of his Flamebrain, but the opportunity disappeared a moment later as the Dragon-slayer sighed and ducked his head in defeat and Gray felt like banging his head against the wall. The worst thing was that at this point he wasn't sure if it was purely Natsu's draconic side that was having issues, or whether the human part was as well and he found himself at a loss at how to convince either side that everything was fine. "Is he?" He asked abruptly turning back to Wendy who was glancing backwards and forwards between them with a frown.

"He might be a bit tender there for a couple more days, but other than that it's fully healed now," she replied her expression darkening slightly, her fingers twitching as she fought the urge to go against Natsu's wishes and finish healing him. No matter what he had been telling Gray even his minor wounds were fairly serious, and although the Ice mage had done a good job with them the healer in her wanted to finish the job, but a look at Natsu was enough to tell her how close to the edge he was and she was reluctant to be the one to push him off.

"Thank you," Gray told her with more than a hint of relief, and the weight that had been pressing down on him for the last few days lessened slightly although it was by no means dispelled. The sight of that injury, and the knowledge that it was there lingering under the bandages had been plaguing his thoughts and feeding the nightmares.

FT

"Gray, Natsu," the foursome turned around as a steely voice interrupted the brief silence that had fallen over them and Gray winced as he took in the stern expression on Erza's face, noting the small huff that Gajeel released and he guessed that she had been rearing to come up and visit them for the past few days.

"Erza," he replied knowing that if he ignored her he would probably end up regretting it later, and Natsu was giving no signs of wanting to talk to her or Lucy who was hovering anxiously beside her, eyes fixated on the Dragon-slayer. "How's your leg?" He asked tilting his head towards the numerous bandages that were still covering her body and there was genuine concern in his voice, even though internally he was relieved to have found a way to redirect her focus…he wasn't really in the mood to let her rant and rave at them, even if he did understand that they had made her worry about them over the last few days.

"Healing, Porlysuica is going to sort it out in a couple of days once the city is back up and running properly," Erza replied glancing down at her legs with a grimace, before her eyes narrowed and she turned her gaze back to them silently examining them and her expression darkened as she took in Natsu's expression and the way he was now clinging almost desperately to Gray's arm. Wendy and Gajeel had done their best to explain what had happened, and the impact it would have on the Fire mage but somewhere along the line she had convinced herself that it couldn't be that bad…but seeing the pain and lingering darkness in his expressive eyes was a pretty effective way of tearing down her illusions.

"How have you been?" Lucy finally spoke up in a soft voice, shifting nervously away from Erza as she felt the older girl's magic beginning to flare out slightly and wanting to avoid getting caught in the crossfire if possible. She winced at the banality of the question, especially as it didn't take a genius to see that they had been going through hell and probably still were but there was no way she was just going to come out and ask them directly about it

"We're getting there," Gray replied when it was clear that Natsu wasn't going to reply, his eyes twitching slightly as he felt the Dragon-slayer pressing further against him and the swirling distrust coming through the bond, but there was no way he was going to bring up that lack of trust in front of the girls unless absolutely necessary. Silently he reached down to lay a hand on Natsu's shoulder, squeezing gently until the Fire mage finally looked at him and he offered what he hoped was a reassuring look. "I'm sorry it took so long for us to come down," he added as he turned his attention back to them, ignoring the frown on Gajeel's face at what the Iron Dragon-slayer clearly felt was an unnecessary apology…the others didn't have the same understanding and he just wanted to clear the air as soon as possible.

"It's fine you don't need to apologize," Erza said after a moment as she watched the interactions between him and Natsu, and she hadn't missed Gajeel's expression either. All the annoyance and worry that had been building up over the past few days dissipating now that they were face to face, and instead she was glad that they had listened to the other Dragon-slayers even though at the time it had gone against her instincts. "It's just good to see you up and about."

"Yeah," Gray agreed softly, and Natsu made a soft noise that could have been agreement or disagreement and the Ice mage wisely decided not to push it at the moment. "Is everyone else okay?" He asked glancing around the room, relieved that he was able to spot most of their guild members even if most of them were still sporting more than a few bandages.

"Everyone made it," Lucy said with a smile as she followed his gaze, shivering slightly as she remembered that first night of waiting for everyone to reappear from where they had been fighting around the city. "No one was uninjured, but there was nothing too serious."

"Thank heavens," Gray whispered feeling himself sagging slightly with relief, he had been terrified that they might have missed something serious and he could feel an echo of his own emotions coming from Natsu even though there was no outward sign of it.

"The Master is out at the moment, they're still working out exactly what happened and there's lots of repairs to be done," Erza added, and Gray winced as he imagined just how bad the city must look in the cold light of day after that battle…it had been bad enough on the walk back to the inn and he had barely been aware of his surroundings.

FT

Silence fell over the group now that the most important details had been shared, both parties unwilling to tackle the prickly topic of what had happened to Natsu and Gray during the battle although they all knew that it would have to be discussed at some point. Gray shifted slightly, uneasy at the sudden silence and he glanced around and his gaze found its way back to where Lyon was sat at the bar, the older Ice mage seemingly avoiding his gaze, although he wasn't fooled by the attempted nonchalance and he quickly turned back to Natsu.

"Natsu will you come with me?" Gray asked softly, tugging slightly on their joined hands and tilting his head towards Lyon was sat at the bar and realisation flooded into Natsu's expression. Quietly the Dragon-slayer got to his feet, and at once the rest of their small group fell silent at the movement and he paused as he felt the weight of their gazes coming to bear on him.

"Gray wants to speak to Lyon," Natsu finally spoke although they all had to strain to hear his words as he addressed them to the floor, and for a moment Erza opened her mouth as though to ask why that meant he had to go as well but she closed it abruptly when Gray shot her a challenging look and a quick shake of his head.

"We'll be back in a bit," Gray muttered, relieved to see her drop the issue and none of the others tried to protest as he led Natsu across the room, pausing briefly whenever any of the others stopped them to ask how they were doing although he was aware of Natsu pressing ever closer to him when they did and he knew that Natsu's tolerance for the company of others was waning fast. "We won't stay down here much longer," he whispered as he turned his head to look at Natsu, and the sheer relief that flitted across his Mate's face was enough to confirm that they needed to end this quickly.

FT

"Gray," Lyon's voice was soft as he approached having watched their progress across the room, and something odd flickered across his face for a moment before he turned his attention to Natsu, his eyebrows rising as he noted how the Dragon-slayer was clinging to the other Ice mage. "Natsu," he offered by way of greeting, and they were both surprised when Natsu acknowledged it with a silent nod and by taking a half step away from Gray although he made no move to release their joined hands.

"I didn't expect to find you here," Gray said with more than a hint of curiosity in his voice, he had been expecting to need to go out and search for Lamia Scale in the next day or so and he found it especially odd that Lyon was here without any of his guild mates. His eyes roved briefly over the other mage checking for injuries, and he was relieved to see that nothing worse seemed to have occurred after he had taken off to go to Natsu.

Before he could ask or say anything else Lyon had moved, rising fluidly from his seat and swiftly closing the distance between them, hesitating for the shortest of moments before stepping closer to embrace Gray who had frozen at the unexpected action.

"You scared the hell out of me," Lyon scolded as he briefly wrapped his arms around Gray before stepping back before Natsu had the chance to take offence at his actions, his eyes clearly checking the younger Ice mage over and his expression relaxed slightly as he saw for himself that Gray was relatively uninjured.

"Sorry," Gray muttered somewhat taken aback by the show of emotion, as good as their relationship had become since the days of Galuna island neither one of them had ever been ones for emotional outbursts. Still he could see the sincerity in the other's eyes and he could remember how heart-broken Lyon had sounded when he fell. "I never even stopped to think back then, I just wanted to protect her," he added, hearing the soft growl that Natsu released at his words…Gray had told him during their solitude exactly what had happened during the battle, and whilst the Dragon-slayer knew that it wasn't Juvia's fault he knew that Natsu was even more uneasy about Juvia than he had been and he worried how he might react if the water mage turned up... he had been relieved to see she wasn't there although he knew that he would have to speak to her at some point, having no doubt at all that she would be blaming herself for what happened.

"I suppose I can't speak…" Lyon said with a sigh, shooting a concerned look at Natsu as he also caught the soft growl but seeing the small shake of Gray's head he wisely decided not to comment on the Fire mage's reaction."If I had been any closer then it would have been me in your shoes," there was sincerity in his words, but also a hint of lingering hint of guilt in his eyes and Gray sighed as he glimpsed it.

"Does it really matter anymore?" He asked softly, gently squeezing Natsu's hand as the other teen stiffened at his words…he knew that the events of the battle would be a problem for them for some time to come, but there was no way he wanted to let Lyon wallow in misplaced guilt, there was enough of that going around already. "What happened, happened. I died, but something changed that and we were able to pull through."

"I…"

"Don't dwell on it," Gray cut across with a hint of firmness in his voice, dark eyes stern as he met Lyon's gaze. "It was a battle, we had a split second to react. If you keep dwelling on it then it will weigh you down and stop you moving forwards," he added, knowing that of everything that was the thing that Lyon was most focused on now and that if there was anything that would encourage him to move on it would be a threat to that.

"How about I agree to try?" Lyon asked with a small tilt of his lips, and Gray didn't miss the irony of having his own words thrown back at him and his own lips tilted as he nodded in agreement, feeling Natsu shifting uneasily behind him as the words registered.

"I suppose I can live with that," Gray replied even as he stepped back so that he was by Natsu's side, hastily wrapping an arm around Natsu and his expression darkened as he realised just how badly the Dragon-slayer was trembling and he realised that he had been trying his best to supress the true extent of his reactions. "Natsu?"

"I'm okay," Natsu muttered unsteadily, the wavering in his voice and the way his fingers had entangled themselves in Gray's clothes belaying what he was saying and from the brief grimace on his face it was clear that he was aware of that fact. "Do…Do you know what happened?...How time changed I mean?" The Dragon-slayer asked quietly, raising his gaze slightly to look at Lyon who was watching them both with fresh concern and the older Ice mage jolted slightly, clearly surprised by both the question and the fact that it was addressed to him…he was well aware that Natsu still harboured some distrust towards him after what had happened on Galuna, although for the most part it was well hidden and after recent events at least he knew why.

"As far as I know the Guild-masters and the Rune Knights are still looking into it," he said once he had gotten over his surprise, frowning as he realised that he hadn't heard anything else on the subject and that he hadn't even given it any thought whilst waiting to find out how Gray and Natsu were.

"It seems to have affected all of Fiore, and possibly further afield although we haven't heard anything from beyond the borders yet," Erza added moving across to join them once more, with Lucy and the Dragon-slayers close on her heels although she kept a careful distance between herself and Gray as she took in the strained expression on Natsu's face as they drew close.

"Most of us just got a glimpse of what might happen…it let us change our choices to avoid trouble," Lucy added, choosing her words carefully as she noticed how Natsu had paled at the first part of her words and she wanted nothing more than to reach out and wrap him up in a hug, but she doubted that he would react well to that at the moment. "It saved all of us…"

"So did Natsu-san," Wendy added quietly as she glanced at Natsu who had tensed at her words, mutely shaking his head although he made no attempt to verbally dispute her words. She knew full well that the fact he had saved them all had only been a side effect of his efforts to avenge Gray, but she had no intention of drawing attention to that fact now…or ever if she had her way. And yet it did not change the fact that it was his actions that had ended the battle, and there was no certainty that anyone else would have been able to save them if he hadn't.

Gray could feel the darkness beginning to grow again through the bond, and he gently tightened his hold on Natsu hoping to ground him, even as he felt a surge of pride at Wendy's words. He was just as aware as she was that it had not been Natsu's intentions, and he was willing to guess that several of the others were also aware of that fact…and yet once again it was his Mate that had ultimately saved the day. He wanted to tell the Dragon-slayer how much that meant to him, but he knew that the words would be ill received at the moment, although he had every intention of saying them when Natsu was ready to hear them.

"That's very true," Erza agreed softly, a small smile on her lips as she glanced at Natsu although it quickly faded when Natsu refused to return it. "The King intends to host a ball to thank all the guilds, and to honour Natsu for his actions," she added and Natsu went stiff at her words, his head shooting up as he stared at her with wide eyes as what little colour he had in his face began to drain out of his face.

"I…"

"It won't be for a while," Gajeel hastily cut in as he took in the panicked expression on the Fire mage's face, shooting a brief glare at Erza who looked suitably abashed albeit with an edge of surprise at Natsu's reaction. "The repairs come first, and the Master informed the King that you were injured and he agreed to wait."

"Thank you," Gray said gratefully as he felt Natsu beginning to relax slightly, although he could tell that he was still disturbed by the very idea of it and he was fighting the urge to snap at Erza…she finally seemed to be learning that her usual way of working didn't apply when it came to their bond, but then she would speak without thinking…

FT

"We're going to go back upstairs for now," Gray said firmly as he became aware of how frayed Natsu was becoming, and he knew that it wouldn't take much more for the Dragon-slayer to come apart at the seams. He knew just how difficult it had been for Natsu to handle even this much, and there was no way he was going to push him so far so soon.

"Will you come down again later?" Lucy asked gently as she glanced between them, it was clear from her expression that she wasn't happy at the idea of them retreating so quickly but there was an edge of understanding to her expression and Gray shot a grateful look towards Wendy and Gajeel knowing that they were most likely responsible for tempering the reactions from their friends.

"Possibly," he replied, not wanting to commit them when he wasn't sure just how stressed Natsu was at the moment. Now that he was satisfied that everyone was okay he was more willing to spend time hiding away, although he knew that there was still other things to resolve, but they were less urgent now.

"Don't push yourselves," Gajeel spoke up gruffly, his eyes narrowing as he glanced across at Erza who had just opened her mouth probably to protest the vague answer. "Salamander…" he paused and waited until Natsu finally raised his eyes to meet his and the older Dragon-slayer had to fight the urge to wince at the pain in the olive eyes. "Don't lose sight of the fact that he's still here with you," his voice was softer than any of them had ever heard of it, and after a long moment Natsu nodded in agreement before allowing his gaze to drift back to Gray.

"I know," he agreed softly and Gray could feel the warmth coming through the bond and he felt another surge of gratitude, knowing that Natsu had needed to hear those words from someone other than him before he could truly allow them to begin to seep in. "It's just…"

"You don't need to explain Natsu-san," Wendy said cutting off his explanations with a gentle shake of her head when he glanced at her, and she offered him a small smile. "Go and get some rest," she ordered when he remained silent, although her gaze had moved to Gray and he could see the unspoken command in her gaze for him to take care of Natsu…

"We might see you later," Gray muttered deciding to heed the command, not that it was necessary, but lords she could be fierce when she wanted to be. Gently using the arm he had wrapped around the Dragon-slayer he turned Natsu, and steered him back towards the stairs, receiving no protests from the Fire mage who was carefully avoiding looking round at the others.

FT

"Are they really going to be okay?" Erza asked with a worried frown as she watched the pair disappearing up the stairs, noting how much Natsu was relying on the Ice mage to steer and support him, and shaken by the sight of seeing how changed the Dragon-slayer appeared to be.

"In time," Gajeel replied gruffly as he settled back into his seat, reaching automatically for Levy who willingly shifted to press against his side, her own expression drawn with concern as she looked at him. After hearing what had happened she had forced the Dragon-slayer to tell her what had caused it…to learn just intertwined their fates were because of his Draconic nature had been deeply unsettling and it made her reluctant to let him stray far from her at the moment. "Pushing them will only make it take longer though," he added warningly as he glanced at her, and she flushed slightly and bit her tongue so as not to let loose with her tongue.

"It's scary to see Natsu like that," Lucy said softly with a frown, and beside her Wendy nodded quietly in agreement…she had expected what they would find, but somehow she still hadn't been prepared and she prayed that the Fire mage would get back to his normal self sooner rather than later, even though she knew it was a foolish wish.

"Just be glad that he wasn't there to see it…" Lyon said softly, his face twisted as he recalled the sight of Gray falling beneath the attack from the mini-dragons…the memory had a dream-like quality now, the magic that had changed time causing its intensity to fade, but he doubted he would ever be able to forget that sight. The rest of the group were silent, unable to find the words to contradict him or comfort him, their thoughts centred on the pair that had gone upstairs.

FTFT

Gray let out a soft sigh of relief as he firmly closed the door of their room behind them, realising that Natsu wasn't the only one worn thin by the interactions downstairs. Releasing his hold on the Dragon-slayer he quietly headed for the bed, sinking down gratefully onto it and waiting for the Fire mage's warmth to reappear at his side…only to frown when it failed to appear, and he anxiously raised his gaze to seek out Natsu.

"Come here," Gray ordered softly as he realised that Natsu was still hovering uncertainly by the door, watching as the Dragon-slayer twisted his fingers together nervously for a moment before obeying, his steps somewhat jerky. As soon as Natsu was within reach the Ice mage reached out and gently pulled him down onto the bed, relieved when there was no resistance and as soon as Natsu was seated he drew the Dragon-slayer firmly into a hug. "You can let it out now, it's just the two of us up here," he murmured softly into the closest ear, unsurprised when Natsu shuddered before burying his face firmly against his chest.

"I'm sorry…I know you wanted to spend longer down there," he finally mumbled a short while later, making no move to remove his face from its hiding place and Gray sighed softly before slowly rubbing a hand down the Dragon-slayer's tense back.

"It doesn't matter," he replied softly. "We know the others are safe now, and they know we're…getting there." He hesitated for a moment but he knew that there was no point in trying to whitewash the situation now that they were alone, and Natsu let out a low noise before nuzzling closer and a fond smile pulled on his lips. Despite everything that had happened, they were still here and together…he realised that Natsu hadn't been the only one that needed to hear Gajeel's words. "Let's just rest for now…we can see about everything else later."

"Are you sure?" Natsu asked hesitantly, pulling his head back slightly so that he could peer up at Gray in surprise…he knew that Gray had pulled them back up here because of him, but he hadn't expected Gray to be so willing to cater to his whims especially after all the pushing he had done for them to go and see the others.

"Of course," Gray said instantly and without hesitation, his smile returning as he looked down at Natsu. "It was nice to see the others, but I want some time with you now," he added and olive eyes sparkled slightly, although there was more than a hint of relief in his face as he pressed closer once more.

Gently Gray guided them both down until they were lying comfortably on the bed, not worrying about covers as Natsu's natural heat would keep them warm enough. The Dragon-slayer hastily rearranging himself so that he was plastered against the Ice mage, and Gray sighed in relief at the familiar warmth soothing him and drew him even closer. He doubted very much that they would make it downstairs again that day, and he was okay with that he realised as he buried his head into soft pink hair.

"I love you," he murmured and he smiled as he felt Natsu finally relaxing fully against him, before a sleepy voice echoed his sentiments before the Dragon-slayer's breathing evened out almost instantly, indicating just how strained the Fire mage had been. He wasn't ready for sleep yet, although he had little doubt that Natsu's heat would soon lull him to sleep, but he was content to lie here and watch over Natsu until then.

FTFT

Next chapter: Gray talks to Juvia and Natsu finds Ultear


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you for the amazing reviews, follows and favourites.

Disclaimer: As always Fairy Tail and its amazing characters don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them.

FTFT

_Previously:_

_Gently Gray guided them both down until they were lying comfortably on the bed, not worrying about covers as Natsu's natural heat would keep them warm enough. The Dragon-slayer hastily rearranging himself so that he was plastered against the Ice mage, and Gray sighed in relief at the familiar warmth soothing him and drew him even closer. He doubted very much that they would make it downstairs again that day, and he was okay with that he realised as he buried his head into soft pink hair._

"_I love you," he murmured and he smiled as he felt Natsu finally relaxing fully against him, before a sleepy voice echoed his sentiments before the Dragon-slayer's breathing evened out almost instantly, indicating just how strained the Fire mage had been. He wasn't ready for sleep yet, although he had little doubt that Natsu's heat would soon lull him to sleep, but he was content to lie here and watch over Natsu until then._

FTFT

True to Gray's predictions they hadn't made it downstairs again that day, and apparently Wendy had been prepared for that as she once again appeared with dinner for them in the evening and made no attempt to intrude on them. Now that he was reassured that everyone was doing well Gray was more than happy to just spend the time curled up with his Dragon-slayer, uncomplaining when Natsu remained silent for most of the evening clearly lost in his own thoughts, although he made sure to wrap his arms tightly around the Fire mage whenever his thoughts or emotions took on a darker tone.

The night was punctured with nightmares for both of them, although not as bad as they had been over the previous few days and Gray took this as an encouraging sign although he knew that things were still far from normal.

FT

The next morning:

Natsu was a lot less reluctant this time as they headed down the stairs to see the rest of their friends, although he remained as close as ever to the Ice mage who had expected that and merely clung to the Dragon-slayer's hand as they stepped into the main room. It was clear that people had finally taken heed of what Wendy and Gajeel had been telling them, as although everyone called out greeting to them they made no attempt to swamp them as they had the day before much to Gray's relief. He knew that whilst Natsu seemed a lot more settled than he had been it wouldn't take much to set him off, and it was with that thought in mind that he made a beeline for the table where Wendy, Gajeel and Levy were sat knowing that they were unlikely to upset his Mate at this point.

"Good morning," Levy greeted them with a warm smile from her seat snuggled up against Gajeel's side, and the Iron Dragon-slayer grunted something that might have been a greeting, earning a fond sigh from the Solid-script mage even as she rolled her eyes at the pair.

"Morning," Gray replied as he directed Natsu into a seat before settling into the one next to him, smiling at Wendy who was watching them with eagle eyes clearly still unhappy that she hadn't been able to deal with all of their injuries and after a moment she sighed and returned the smile.

"Sleep well?" She asked him, although her gaze lingered longer on Natsu who squirmed slightly before giving an awkward shrug in response and Gray gently squeezed his fingers to settle him.

"Better than we have since the battle," he replied for both of them knowing that the others would cotton on to the fact that it was still a topic Natsu was uneasy with, and sure enough he got understanding looks from the others and they'd didn't press any further. "Where are Lucy and Erza today?" He asked, realising that the pair were missing and seizing on that realisation for a change of topic, noting that Natsu's head had risen slightly and that the Fire mage was actually glancing around with a hint of interest.

"They're examining the remnants of the gate today before it's removed, and the Princess asked Lucy to help her check that all the magic has dissipated," Levy replied catching onto his eagerness to change the topic, and she offered him a small smile when he shot her a grateful look. "I believe Erza is helping the Master with something, but she was gone before we got up so I'm not sure."

"Are they going to destroy the gate? Destroy it completely I mean?" Natsu asked suddenly, and there was a wildness in his eyes as his head shot up that worried his companions and Gray hastily moved his arm so that it was wrapped around the Dragon-slayer. On the other side of the table Gajeel suddenly looked much more awake, and there was a wary expression on his face as he eyed up the Fire mage before shifting closer to Levy only just resisting the urge to let out a low warning growl…the last thing they needed was for him to wind up the other Dragon-slayer.

"I believe so," Wendy was the one replied, looking worried as she watched Natsu for his reaction, noting the flare of cautious relief in the olive eyes before he abruptly slumped against Gray. The Ice mage immediately pulling him closer into his side with a worried frown.

"Good," Natsu's reply was so soft that they barely heard it, and he let out a soft noise that was almost a whimper as he pressed his face against Gray. "If future Rogue ever made it back…" he trailed off weakly but they all got the meaning behind his words, and Gajeel and Wendy exchanged a brief look, vowing to make sure that the gate was properly destroyed…if only to try and give their fellow Dragon-slayer some peace of mind.

"Shh he's gone, you made sure of that," Gray murmured soothingly, and after a moment Natsu gave a small nod although he made no move to escape from the comfort his Mate was offering him, and the Ice mage frowned in concern…

FT

The conversation had died after that point, and Gray had been unsurprised when Natsu had asked to go back upstairs not long after and he had to bite back the urge to try and persuade the Fire mage to remain for a bit longer. He was worried that Natsu might not come back to himself if he kept letting the Dragon-slayer retreat from stressful situations, but at the same time he was terrified of what could happen if he pushed his Mate too far to fast…and his terror won out as let the Dragon-slayer pull him back upstairs to the sanctuary of their room. He just hoped that he wouldn't come to regret his cowardice later…a thought not helped by the worried gazes that he could feel burning into his back as they disappeared up the stairs.

FTFT

The next day:

Much to Gray's relief the Dragon-slayer seemed to be in a better frame of mind the next morning, and it took little persuasion to convince him that they should head down and spend more time with their nakama and he just hoped that nothing would happen to set Natsu off once they were down there. When they made their way downstairs they were surprised to find that Laxus was also sitting at their usual table with the other Dragon-slayers and Levy, and Gray paused to glance questionly at Natsu who hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement and allowing the Ice Mage to pull him over to the table…he had no quarrel with the Lightning mage and his Draconic side acknowledged him as a safe companion even though he wasn't a natural Dragon-slayer.

"This is a surprise," Gray commented as he settled into his seat, automatically pulling Natsu closer into his side and wrapping his arm around the Fire mage who willingly welcomed the gesture, still needing the closeness even though he knew there was no threat here. "I thought you'd been drafted into the repairs?" He added as he turned his focus on Laxus who was watching them with barely concealed curiosity and catching the hint of concern in the blue eyes as they lingered on Natsu for a moment.

"I was but the Old Man decided that I needed a rest," Laxus replied with a roll of his eyes, there was no way he was going to admit that he had leapt at the chance to return to the inn and finally get a chance to check up on Natsu himself. The way his own magic had responded to Natsu's grief had unsettled him more than he would ever admit aloud, and he had been uneasy and out of sorts since the battle and he was hoping that confirming the younger Dragon-slayer was okay would settle him. "Besides with the amount of people helping out it won't take long for Crocus to get back on its feet…although I doubt people will forget these Magical Games in a while," he added with a hint of humour in his voice.

"That's true," Gray muttered with amusement, thinking that at least this time it wasn't possible for ALL the destruction to be laid at the feet of Fairy Tail although he had no doubt that they had caused a large part of it…but given that it had been in the defence of the city he didn't expect any trouble to come their way because of it.

FT

They had been downstairs for nearly an hour, and thankfully there had been no sign of anything setting Natsu off although he remained largely silent despite their best attempts to draw him into the conversation. Still there was a silent agreement that it was better than how he had been the day before, and Laxus had obviously picked up on this because although there was poorly concealed worry in his eyes whenever he glanced at the Fire mage he never once mentioned it aloud.

Gray was just beginning to relax properly when the door opened and at once he felt Natsu go rigid beside him, before he could even turn to look at who had entered a low growl broke free and his gaze shifted to the Fire mage, blanching at the furious gleam in the narrowed eyes. Even before he had turned to follow the Dragon-slayer's gaze he had guessed what had set him off, and sure enough he found that it was Juvia that had just stepped into the inn. Her eyes were filled with a mix of relief and fear as she met his gaze for a moment before shifting nervously towards Natsu, easily able to see the hostility radiating off him.

She took a hesitant step towards their table, but then sudden guilt flashed across her face and abruptly she turned and made a beeline for the bar, carefully avoiding looking at Gray who was watching her progress with worried eyes…he knew instinctively that the guilt in her expression was because he had been hurt trying to protect her and he realised that she must have been dwelling on that fact ever since that day…he had been worried about her, but seeing the obvious impact it had, had on her he was filled with the need to go and speak to her…to reassure her that it hadn't been her fault…

The only problem was the tense Dragon-slayer at his side…Natsu hadn't taken his gaze off the Water mage once since she'd walked in, and all Gray could pick up on through the bond was a churning furnace of anger and distrust…the Fire mage might acknowledge that it hadn't been her fault, but his draconic side clearly wasn't convinced and the Ice mage knew that there was no way he could approach her whilst Natsu was this close to the edge and glanced between the pair with conflicted feelings.

FT

Natsu could feel the worry radiating from Gray, and he knew that his Mate was torn between his concern for Juvia and his concern and love for him…He had also seen the guilt in the Water mage's expression when she glanced at Gray, and the shadows beneath her eyes that indicated that she had been struggling over the last few days and the part of him that recognised her as a nakama wanted nothing more than to send Gray over there to comfort her…and yet at the same time he wanted nothing more than to keep her miles away from his Mate…it had been because of her that he had, had to experience what it felt like to lose his Mate.

He could feel another growl forming in his chest, and his magic was stirring as his Dragon snapped and snarled in the back of his mind…urging him to lash out…to punish her for what had happened…and he could feel his body instinctively straining forwards. But then he caught a brief glimpse of Gray's worried expression out of the corner of his eye and it was like having bucket of icy water dumped over his head, and he froze, emotions and magic whirling wildly in chest…_Gray…_

There was no doubt in his mind that the Ice mage wanted to talk to Juvia…and he realised as he refocused his attention on his Mate that Gray had no intention of trying to do so at the moment, just because of him…warmth blossomed in his chest at that thought and he ducked his head slightly… All it would take was one word and they could disappear back upstairs away from everyone…away from her…and he knew that Gray wouldn't try to convince him otherwise. But despite how tempting that sounded he knew that he couldn't do it, and as that realisation settled over him, he realised that he needed to let Gray have this chance to talk to Juvia…the Ice mage had been amazing the last few days, catering to his excessive clinginess without a word of complaint…

FT

Reaching a decision he gently pushed Gray away from him and got to his feet, noting the way his companions tensed clearly assuming that he was about to lash out. And Gray quickly scrambled to his feet, reaching for Natsu with a worried expression which morphed into one of confusion as the Dragon-slayer slipped away from him moving around to the other side of the table.

"Gajeel…Laxus…" Natsu muttered in a strained tone and both Dragon-slayers turned to look at him, the former frowning in concern as he took in the stressed expression on Natsu's face and the way his body was trembling under the effort of remaining in place. "Help me…" he added as he met their gaze with difficultly, trying to ignore the usual stubbornness that was trying to flare to life at the idea of asking for help from either of his rivals…a quick glance at Gray who was still hovering a short distance away was all he needed to quench that flash and he slumped.

"Natsu?" Gajeel asked with a frown, guessing at what it might be that the younger Dragon-slayer was asking them to do but wanting him to confirm it before he made assumptions…he could tell that Natsu was still fighting against the Draconic urges and he had no desire to set him off, especially not with Levy sat so close to the firing line.

"Gray…needs to talk to…her," Natsu managed to whisper brokenly, a low growl slipping free as his gaze slipped ever so briefly back to the Water mage on the far side of the room and he paled even further as he fought to reign in his draconic side as the urge to lash out shot to the front and after a second he managed to quash it for a moment. "I…you…"

"You want us to stop you lashing out?" Laxus asked grimly as he also cottoned on to what Natsu was asking, stunned that the Fire mage would even ask him and as Natsu nodded slightly both Dragon-slayers moved to flank him. "Are you sure?" The Lightning mage asked as he exchanged worried looks with Gajeel who grimaced at the questioning look before shrugging helplessly, he didn't approve of this but he knew that it was Natsu's decision to make and all he could do was support him…instead he shot a quick look at Levy who immediately got the message and quickly rose and moved away from the table, and he relaxed slightly as he watched her joining Lisanna and Mira on the far side of the room.

"Natsu…what?" Gray asked uncertainly watching the scene with wide eyes, confused by what was going on as Natsu had seemed to practically ignore him since first setting eyes on Juvia and there was now a block on the bond between them making it hard to make out what emotions were going through Natsu at that moment. He flinched as Natsu turned tortured eyes towards him, and instinctively he stepped towards him, keen to offer comfort…as much as he wanted to talk to Juvia he was more than willing to wait until Natsu was calmer and more able to cope with that kind of conversation.

"Go," Natsu whispered and Gray blinked and frowned, was Natsu really telling him to talk to Juvia right now? Even when it was clear that even the idea of it was hurting the Fire Mage? With a muffled whimper Natsu tilted his head towards Juvia who was watching everything with teary eyes and Gray's eyes widened as he realised that really was what his Mate was saying…that he was even willing to get the others to help hold him back just so that Gray could do this…

"Natsu…"

"Do as he says," Gajeel growled out cutting across whatever protests Gray had been trying to make, wincing as he felt Natsu shiver violently in his arms at his words. "Just be quick about it," he added knowing that there was only so long that they would be able to hold him back without it turning into an all-out fight, and there was no way he was willing to fight Natsu after what had happened and especially not with Levy in the room.

"Thank you," Gray whispered as he met Natsu's eyes, trying to convey through the bond just what this meant to him and the Dragon-slayer offered a very weak attempt at a smile to show he understood before indicating for the Ice Mage to get going and with a last worried look at his Mate Gray obeyed quickly moving across the room to where the water mage was sitting.

FT

"Juvia," he greeted softly before settling into the seat beside her, noting the heaviness in the air around her and he was surprised that it was tipping it down outside.

"Gray-sama," Juvia murmured as he sat down beside her, unable to bring herself to look at him as the image of him taking the attack for her flashed through her mind once more and she flinched slightly as Natsu let out a low growl on the far side of the room…in all honesty she had half-expected him to attack her when he had spotted her and she could feel his magic crackling angrily even from where they were sat. "I…." She trailed off helplessly, unsure of how to even begin to voice the thoughts and feelings swirling inside her.

"It wasn't your fault Juvia," Gray said softly as he caught a glimpse of her conflicted expression and catching the flinch as Natsu growled, and he struggled not to react to Natsu's obvious agitation as Juvia finally lifted her head to look at him with moist eyes. "It could just have easily been me, Lyon or Meredy in the line of that attack…and anyone of us would have done what I did."

"But…"

"Lyon has already told me that he would have done the same," Gray added cutting across her protests with a soft smile, and Juvia blinked in surprise before a ghost of a smile appeared for a split second before it disappeared once more as a soft growl echoed across the room.

"Natsu-san knows it was because of me…doesn't he?" Juvia asked quietly her voice barely above a whisper as she risked a glance across at where the Dragon-slayer was standing, clearly being restrained by Laxus and Gajeel although he didn't appear to be fighting too hard against them for the moment…she knew that the Fire mage was uneasy about her at the best of times because of her earlier actions, but it hurt to think that her error in the battle had made their relationship even worse.

"Yes," Gray replied seeing no purpose in lying to her, and he was sure that at some point the issue would come up between his Mate and the Water mage. "He knows that it wasn't your fault too, it's just his draconic side that isn't so willing to accept that." He could feel that Natsu's draconic side was getting increasingly riled up by the situation, and he sent soothing thoughts through the bond even though he knew that the only thing that would help would be round this conversation up sooner rather than later.

"He really loves you," Juvia said softly and there was a mixture of wonder and sorrow in her voice, although her eyes were clearer as she turned her gaze back to Gray and seeing the confusion on his face she explained. "When you fell all I could do was cry…the thought of fighting on or even avenging you never entered my mind…I couldn't have done what he did…"

FT

Natsu could feel the loose control he had on his emotions beginning to shatter as his inner dragon snarled furiously at how close Gray and Juvia was sitting. The rational, human part of himself was reasoning that there was nothing suspicious or romantic about the closeness and he could feel Gray's concern and love for him through the bond…and yet despite his best efforts that rationality was losing ground fast to his draconic side, and he couldn't subdue the growling that was coming almost constantly from him at this point.

Gajeel and Laxus had obviously cottoned onto the fact that his control was rapidly slipping, and sharing an uneasy glance they quickly reached out to grasp his arms, not tightly but in preparation in case he lost control and tried to lash out. For a second his magic threatened to flare up and lash out at the sudden restraint, but he quickly supressed the urge, knowing that they weren't a threat and that they were just doing what he had requested… but he couldn't stop the snarl that broke free before his eyes darted back to Gray.

_Gray hurry!_

FT

Gray considered her words having never looked at the situation in that light…he knew that if it had been the other way round and he thought that Natsu had fallen then there was no power in the world that would have stopped him getting revenge…not even Fairy Tail's creed to not take the lives of others would have halted him. And he realised for the first time just how much of Natsu's reaction he had been simply assigning to his draconic side…but if he felt this strongly, then was it possible that Natsu had been acting more out of love than instinct? It was food for thought and he made a mental note to bring it up with the Dragon-slayer when he was calmer about what had happened.

Coming out of his thoughts he caught the lingering expression of guilt and sorrow on the Water mage's face and he scolded himself for getting distracted, especially as he caught the snarl from behind him and he knew that he didn't have much longer to talk with her.

"Everyone reacts differently…"

"You would have reacted in the same way that he did," Juvia pointed out with a knowing look in her eyes, and Gray blinked at her in surprise before looking away sheepishly, and she managed a weak chuckle at his reaction. "It was obvious from your expression when I said that he really loved you," she added with a hint of sadness, for the first time allowing herself to truly acknowledge that the Ice mage was out of her reach.

"Juvia…"

"It's fine," she reassured him with a watery attempt at a smile, before reaching out to lay a hand on his arm and he glanced at her curously. "I'm not quite ready to accept that it wasn't my fault that you nearly d-died…but I'll get there, and I am really happy that you're okay and that you're so happy with Natsu."

"I'm…"

"Natsu!" Laxus's voice rang out across the room drawing everyone's attention, especially as it was followed almost immediately by a vicious growl from the Fire mage and the air around them began to heat up as Natsu's efforts to reach Gray became more restive and he began to pull violently against the tight hold the other Dragon-slayers had on him.

"Gray!" Gajeel shouted in alarm as Natsu suddenly surged forward, and it took all of his and Laxus's strength to stop him from breaking through and it was clear that it was only going to be a matter of time before he resorted to magic to break free.

"Damn it, sorry Juvia," Gray had already been turning when he heard Laxus's alarmed voice, and as Gajeel shouted for him he shot to his feet glancing briefly at the Water mage who was staring at him with wide eyes.

"It's okay Gray-sama," she murmured as her gaze shot across to where Gajeel and Laxus were clearly struggling to hold Natsu back, and with a grateful nod Gray was up and running across the room, cursing himself for pushing his Mate so far as he heard Natsu crying out with a mixture of pain and anger and he could feel the emotions surging through their bond…how Natsu had held it back so long was a miracle.

"Natsu," Gray's voice soothing as he skidded to a halt beside the Dragon-slayers, Laxus and Gajeel releasing the Fire mage with more than a hint of relief and moving aside so that the Ice mage could close the last of the distance between himself and Natsu. "Easy Natsu I'm here…I'm here," he murmured as he wrapped his arms around Natsu, holding him tighter as he felt the violent tremors wracking the Dragon-slayer and wincing at the magic he could feel whipping the air around them…a moment later and it was clear that Natsu would have lost control of his magic, and he shuddered to think just how much devastation the Dragon-slayer could have caused.

"Mine…." Natsu finally whispered after a long moment as he buried his face in Gray's shoulder, desperately trying to surround himself with Gray's scent and using the Ice Mage's presence to ground himself although his inner Dragon was still writhing in his chest….the urge to lash out at Juvia was still strong and he tightened his own hold on Gray as he tried frantically to bury it. "Gray…?"

"Yeah I'm yours," Gray reassured him hastily as he caught the uncertainty in the Fire mage's voice, calling himself all kinds of names for ever allowing Natsu to convince him to talk to Juvia so soon…he had known that Natsu wasn't ready and yet he hadn't fought him hard enough on the issue. Gently he pressed his lips against the Dragon-slayer's head, catching the full body shudder that went through Natsu at the gesture before adding in a gently scolding tone. "Idiot I could have waited to speak to Juvia, there was no need to stress yourself out this badly…"

Natsu could finally feel his Draconic side beginning to reluctantly settle, Gray's words wrapping themselves around him like a reassuring blanket and giving him the strength to calm his wilder half, and he sighed in relief before raising his head slightly to peer at Gray only to find his Mate watching him with worried eyes…his heart twisted, hating the fact that he put that expression on Gray's face whilst also being bolstered by the fact that the Ice mage cared so much for him.

"You were worried," he managed to murmur after a moment, needing to explain why he had acted like he had as he could feel the curiosity humming through the bond although Gray would never have voiced it out loud. "I could tell…I thought I could be calmer about it…" He knew that Gray had no romantic interest in Juvia and that his concern for her had been purely born out of friendship, and he had hoped that he could hold onto that knowledge and give Gray the time to talk to her…unfortunately his Dragon wasn't quite as rational, and he knew that he had pushed it too far and that if Gray hadn't reacted so swiftly to Gajeel's shout then he could have levelled the inn.

"You were amazing," Gray murmured cutting through Natsu's whirling thoughts as he caught the guilt and worry coming from the Dragon-slayer, and he meant every word of it, even without seeing the expressions on the other Dragon-slayers' faces he knew that Natsu had held out far longer and better than he could have…especially so soon after nearly losing Gray. "You have nothing to be sorry for…okay?"

"'Kay."

FT

It had taken a couple of hours to settle Natsu completely, although Gray took it as an encouraging sign that the Dragon-slayer hadn't asked to retreat back to their room…although he knew that part of that was due to the fact that Juvia had slipped away in the confusion and the rest of their guild mates had wisely given them space, although the other Dragon-slayers had remained nearby in case they were needed. They had long since retreated to a small booth at the back of the room, and had spent the last hour cuddling quietly whilst Natsu pulled himself back together.

The Fire mage was mulling over everything that had happened as he soaked in the comfort that Gray was offering him, and he glanced up at the Ice mage, studying his Mate quietly…Gray was managing to move forwards after what had happened, and yet he was still stuck in what had happened and he was worried that if he didn't get moving too then he would drag the Ice mage down as well. It was just a daunting prospect to resume their life from before…especially now that he knew the pain of losing his Mate…but for Gray he knew that he had to try.

"Can we go for a walk?" Natsu asked quietly glancing up at Gray with red-rimmed eyes, and the Ice mage frowned in concern at the sight before blinking as it registered what the Dragon-slayer had asked and he couldn't keep the confusion out of his voice as he asked.

"A walk?"

"We've been inside since that night…" Natsu had to pause and swallow at the thought of that night, but after a moment he calmed and in a slightly steadier voice he continued, holding Gray's gaze as he explained the reason behind his request. "I…You're getting back on an even keel and I need to do the same."

"You don't need to rush yourself," Gray pointed out although inside he felt a surge of hope at Natsu's words, wondering whether they had finally found a proper turning point and he smiled at the Dragon-slayer to show that he wasn't trying to discourage him.

"I'm not," Natsu reassured him although he wasn't sure how true his words were, but he wasn't about to admit that to Gray. The Ice mage frowned for a moment as he considered the Dragon-slayer silently for a moment before sighing and nodding.

"Alright, but if you feel yourself beginning to get stressed then tell me," the Ice mage ordered sternly, not entirely sure that he trusted Natsu not to push himself too far, especially not after his efforts earlier during his chat with Juvia.

"I will."

"Promise?" Gray demanded knowing that if the Fire mage gave him his word then he would be unlikely to break, and Natsu fought the urge to roll his eyes knowing that it wouldn't help his cause but dutifully muttered quietly.

"I promise."

Satisfied the Ice mage detangled himself from Natsu and got to his feet before turning and holding his hand out for the Dragon-slayer, gently pulling Natsu to his feet when the Fire mage took it although he made no move to release his Mate's hand even once he was on his feet earning a proper smile from the Dragon-slayer. Glancing round he caught Gajeel and the others watching them with concern, and he pulled Natsu with him as he moved over to them to let them know what was going on.

"Natsu wants to go for a walk," he said softly when they reached the table, and the group exchanged surprised looks before turning to look at Natsu searching for any sign that he wasn't ready for this step, but he met their looks calmly and they relaxed.

"Okay," Wendy replied with a smile, relieved by this sign of the normal Natsu starting to peep through and she perked up even more when the Fire mage returned the smile before shifting his attention to Gajeel and Laxus as his expression turned more serious.

"Thanks for earlier," he said softly, knowing that if it hadn't been for their efforts he never would have held out as long as he had and if he hadn't then he could've…would've caused a hell of a lot of damage and potentially risked hurting his mate.

"Don't mention it," Gajeel muttered glancing away as he caught the honest gratitude in Natsu's expression, and the deeper emotions swirling in olive eyes.

"That means he's glad it helped," Levy translated with a smile, ignoring the horrified look in the Iron Dragon-slayers eyes as he glanced at her whilst Laxus chuckled softly beside them. In all honesty he had been somewhat unnerved by the wildness Natsu had shown earlier, but looking at the Fire mage now he could see signs of the Brat he knew beginning to resurface and he felt something in his chest beginning to ease and he merely nodded in acceptance of the thank you.

Laughing as Wendy lent forward to softly tease Gajeel for his reaction to Levy's words Gray gently pulled Natsu towards the door, pleased to see that there was no sign of hesitation as Natsu followed him without a word and with only a quick wave of farewell they were gone.

FTFT


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you for the amazing reviews, follows and favourites.

Disclaimer: As always Fairy Tail and its amazing characters don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them.

FTFT

Natsu stayed close to the Ice mage's side as they left the sanctuary of the inn, unintentionally squeezing Gray's fingers tighter when he realised just how busy the streets around them was, and it took all his willpower not to change his mind and ask to go back. Thankfully Gray had easily picked up on the sudden surge of alarm, and with an understanding expression he squeezed back before carefully freeing his hand only to replace it with his arm, which he wrapped protectively around Natsu as he tugged him closer.

"Are you really sure about this?" Gray asked softly, ignoring the curious looks they were getting and focusing on Natsu who had willingly shifted closer with a relieved noise, watching the way the Dragon-slater glanced around with wary eyes before slowly turning back to look at him.

"Yeah," Natsu whispered with a small nod, before glancing around once more and there was a flicker of uncertainty as he added. "I think…" The Ice mage was tempted to repeat his earlier request for a promise that Natsu would tell him if things got too much for him, or if he wanted to go back, but he held himself back not wanting to risk his words being taken as a suggestion as he knew that Natsu at least needed to try getting back to normal.

"Shall we go then?" He said instead gesturing down the road with his free hand and after a brief hesitation and a deep breath the Dragon-slayer nodded, allowing Gray to gently guide him forward, although he was relieved when the Ice mage made no move to remove his arm.

Paying no heed to the attention they were getting, Natsu began to pay more attention to his surroundings and Gray smiled slightly when he saw that there was only curiosity on the other mage's expression, although it was still a long way from his usual happy grin. Despite the obvious improvement he noted that Natsu's gaze skittered towards him far more than was necessary, and he made sure to meet the nervous glances as often as possible, hoping to reassure the Dragon-slayer that he was still here and that he wasn't going anywhere.

Seeing that Natsu was slowly beginning to relax, Gray took the opportunity to examine their surroundings as they meandered slowly in the direction of the palace. Much of the damage that he remembered going past when he had carried Natsu back to the inn the night of the battle was already well on its way to being repaired, although there were still piles of rubble in many places and some buildings were still in the process of being rebuilt. He was somewhat startled by the amount of progress that had already been made, but then again it was the capital and with all the guilds still in the city there were more mages than usual available to help with the clean-up.

Another thing that drew his attention was how busy and normal the streets seemed, with traders calling out and people were moving around them with no sign of lingering fear even when they had to skirt the damaged areas. It was almost as though nothing had happened and he found it slightly surreal to witness after the last few days of dealing with the impact the events had, had on Natsu…and himself, he added knowing that he had been more affected by what had happened than he was willing to admit.

A small part of him was jealous to see just how quickly and easily these people had managed to slip back into their normal lives and his expression fell for a moment, but he cleared it hastily hoping that Natsu hadn't noticed the momentary slip. They would get there eventually he reminded himself, glancing across at Natsu and ever so slightly tightening his hold, even this simple walk was an indication that they were finally moving in the right direction. Realising that helped to drive the brief flare of jealousy to the back of his mind, although to his chagrin he found himself unable to banish it completely from his mind even as he smiled softly at the oblivious Fire mage.

FT

Natsu's eyes narrowed slightly as he caught the brief flash of jealousy which seeped through the bond, and peeking cautiously at Gray he caught the Ice Mage's expression before it was wiped clear and replaced by a neutral expression and he frowned slightly, wondering why Gray was trying to hid it from him. Thoughtfully he turned his attention back to their surroundings, glancing around as he tried to work out what could have triggered that reaction and it didn't take long for his mind to follow the Ice Mage's train of thought and his own expression fell. Of course Gray would be effected by the sight of everyone else resuming their normal lives, especially when he had been forced to deal with Natsu's issues…and his own…over the last few days.

Gritting his teeth he lowered his head, missing the small smile that had appeared on Gray's face and he was so lost in his own thoughts that he was unaware that his Mate's thoughts had taken a more positive turn. Instead he found himself appalled to realise that he had allowed himself to become so wrapped up in his own issues and fears that he hadn't even paused to really consider the wider impacts that the situation would be having on his Mate. He had to bite back the noise of distress that tried to break free as that realisation hit home, knowing that it would only make Gray worry about him even more, which was the last thing he wanted at that moment and in a desperate attempt to protect the Ice mage from his emotions he pulled back slightly in the bond.

FTFT

The pair were silent as they reached the bottom of the steps that lead up to the palace, and Gray was watching Natsu out of the corner of his eye as they slowly began to head up the steps. He wasn't sure what it was, but something felt off about the Dragon-slayer, almost as though he was trying to distance himself in some way even though he had made no move to put physical distance between them. In fact he had moved even closer during the last few minutes, until their sides had been closely pressed together and despite the overwhelming warmth Gray hadn't protested, assuming that being around so many people was starting to test Natsu's tolerance.

Yet as he glanced at Natsu, it looked as though the Fire mage was completely oblivious to the people walking past them and he bit his lip worriedly, unsure of what else could have triggered the odd feeling he was getting from his Mate. He was reluctant to ask as well, knowing that Natsu would immediately feel bad for worrying him and his eyes narrowed in familiar irritation before schooling his expression. He had to believe that Natsu would open up to him once he was ready to talk about it, and he could only hope that this distance was a sign that Natsu was trying to work through his worries and not an indicator that things were irreparably changed.

FT

All thoughts of confronting Natsu about the odd feelings that were coming through the bond disappeared when they reached the plaza. Although the repair work going on throughout the area looked as though it had been going on for a few days, the damage in this area had been so severe that little progress had been made and unlike the rest of Crocus that they had passed through the plaza looked very much like it had been through a war. Gray felt himself choking up slightly as his gaze landed on the spot where Natsu had been crouched, waiting for Atlas Flame to finish him off and he clutched almost desperately at the Dragon-slayer's hand to reassure himself that Natsu was still there…_one minute later…_

Before he could lose himself in the memory and the panic that was welling up in his chest he was distracted by a soft noise coming from the Dragon-slayer and he quickly turned to look at Natsu, freezing at the horrified expression that was written across his Mate's face.

"Natsu?"

"I…did this?" Natsu managed to choke out as he stared around at the devastation, his eyes lingering on the spot where the Eclipse gate had once been although all that remained to mark the spot was the very base of the gate, the rest having being carefully removed over the past few days. Gray narrowed his eyes in concern, he had never seen Natsu respond like this before and he had probably caused more damage than this in previous battle, but the agitation and panic radiating off the Dragon-slayer told him that he couldn't just brush this off.

"It wasn't just you," Gray pointed out cautiously, unsure of how to deal with this issue, but not willing to let Natsu shoulder all the blame, not that there was really any blame to shoulder in this case…they had fought to save Crocus and its citizens and they had succeeded, so what did it matter if there was damage? "We all caused plenty of damage, and don't forget there was also seven dragons rampaging through the city…" _And the mini ones caused plenty of damage as well,_ he added silently guessing that Natsu wouldn't react well to the reminder of the creatures that had nearly killed him, and a slight shiver went through him at the thought and he realised that he wasn't that comfortable thinking about them either.

"But…" Natsu trailed off, unable to find the words to explain what he was currently feeling and he helplessly shook his head as he caught the questioning look that Gray shot at him before turning his attention back to the destruction…_Why, why was it so hard to look at this? I've destroyed plenty of stuff before…but this…this is different…_

Gray could see the conflict in Natsu's face and feel the churning emotions coming through the bond, but there was nothing that he could grab hold of to explain why the Dragon-slayer was reacting like this.

"Natsu? I don't understand, it's just a bit of damage," he said softly hoping that voicing his confusion would force Natsu to focus enough to explain what the hell was going through his mind, and when wild olive eyes slowly met his gaze he added encouragingly. "It'll be fixed up soon enough, and we could always help if that would make you feel better?" He wasn't convinced that Natsu had recovered enough to be scrambling around and doing repair work, but he was more than willing to risk it if it would help calm the Dragon-slayer.

"It's…different this time," Natsu replied haltingly after a long moment, holding Gray's gaze for a moment and feeling fresh guilt welling up at the worry he could see in the Ice mage's eyes and he hastily glanced away. _Damn it I don't want to see that expression on your face anymore. _

"Different?" Gray asked with a confused frown, which only deepened when he realised that Natsu looked just as confused as he was feeling and his tone was more urgent as he prompted the Dragon-slayer to continue. "Different how?"

"I don't know," Natsu admitted his voice rising slightly as his emotions churned wildly in his chest, turning his gaze back towards the spot where the gate had once been. There was a lost look on his face as he lost himself in vague recollections…the sensation of slamming into the ground alongside Motherglare and Future Rogue…the gaping hole in his chest and the knowledge of what he had lost, and beyond that the hazy memory of Atlas Flame hovering over him and his calm acceptance of what was about to happen…Everything had come so close to ending in this very plaza…he had come so close to throwing everything away…to losing everything.

It was becoming harder and harder to breath as he realised just how close it had really been…part of acknowledging that, that was why this was so different to normal…that this time it hadn't just been a close won battle, but for a brief time it had been a battle that had been lost. This destruction hadn't been done to save someone, or to defend the guild's honour…it had been done out of anger and hatred and nothing more, and that realisation was like a leaden weight in his chest.

"Natsu?!" Gray asked urgently as he realised just how laboured the Dragon-slayer's breathing was becoming and wincing as Natsu's panic broke through the bond and he found himself staggering back for a moment under the onslaught before managing to steady himself. Gathering himself he reached for Natsu, determined to help calm him but to his alarm the Fire mage flinched backwards out of reach, a slightly wild glint to the olive eyes that met his for the briefest second.

"I…" Natsu whispered faintly before trailing off, visibly struggling to gather himself before managing to force more words out and Gray froze as it registered what the Dragon-slayer was saying to him. "I need to get away…I'm sorry…I…" Before he had a chance to ask what he meant Natsu had spun around and taken off, and there was none of the usual unconscious grace that he associated with his mate as the Fire mage stumbled and nearly fell before increasing his speed and it was that which helped him find his voice once more.

"NATSU!" Gray shouted in alarm his eyes wide as he watched the Dragon-slayer falter for a brief moment at his shout, but then the bond between them slammed shut leaving only enough contact to tell him that Natsu was physically fine and then Natsu was gone without a backwards look leaving the Ice mage to stare after him with a concerned expression. _What the hell was going on?!_

FT

Natsu had to fight the urge to turn back at the alarmed cry, hating the fact that he was scaring his Mate, but he knew that he had to get away for a little while. That he needed some time to try and sort out the mess in his head without the Ice Mage being there, it was too easy for him to allow himself to rely on Gray at the moment, especially with how willing Gray was to humour his Draconic side. It didn't seem to matter that quite often that had meant going against what Gray himself might want or need, and it had been that realisation that had motivated him to let Gray talk to Juvia earlier…he had needed to do something that revered the situation, although it certainly hadn't ended as well as he had hoped.

Quashing the brief surge of irritation that always came with thoughts of the Water mage, he turned his focus towards just getting away. He knew that there was every chance that separating himself from Gray and forcing himself to take a proper look at everything going on his head could go horribly wrong, and he was determined to make sure that he was well away from people in the event of that happening. And preferably somewhere where he could only cause minimal damage, he added with a heavy heart as the image of the devastated plaza flashed through his mind once more and he found himself speeding up, trying to escape that image.

FT

Gray had lingered in the plaza for a few minutes after Natsu had disappeared, worried about moving in case the Dragon-slayer came back, knowing that in his current state of mind he would panic if was gone. However, it didn't take long for him to realise that the strength of the link between them was fading and he sighed, realising that it indicated that Natsu was moving away from him, apparently with no intentions of coming back anytime soon. Cursing himself for ever agreeing to this walk when he had known that the Fire mage was still unsettled by everything that had happened, he quickly began to head in the direction that Natsu had taken, hoping that people would have taken notice of the fleeing Dragon-slayer as it was hard to determine which way Natsu had gone with the bond shut down like it was.

For a brief moment he contemplated going back to the inn and asking Wendy of Gajeel to help him track down his erstwhile Mate, but he had a feeling that if Natsu was even willing to hide from him, it was unlikely that he would welcome outside interference. Gray also admitted to himself that he didn't want to see the expressions they would have if he turned up with Natsu, only to admit that he had lost him…and he shuddered as he imagined how Erza might react to the news let alone the other Dragon-slayers. Shaking his head, and not for the first time wishing that he had the same advanced senses as Natsu the Ice mage broke into a run, hoping against hope that Natsu hadn't managed to get to far and that he would stop before he ended up well and truly lost in the city.

FTFT

Half an hour later:

Natsu was breathing heavily by the time he eventually allowed himself to drift to a halt, and as he glanced around finally taking in his surroundings he discovered that he had managed to wind up in one of the outer areas of Crocus and his expression fell as he took just how devastated the area was. Clearly the work groups hadn't reached this far yet, and it allowed him his first real look at just what impact the battle had, had on the city and he felt his earlier shock creeping back in. Trying to calm himself he took a deep breath before staggering over to where the remnant of a building protruded from the rubble, sinking down against the wall with a soft sigh.

Looking around to make sure that he was truly alone, not that he expected that many people would be venturing out this far until the repairs were done he finally let his head droop, burying his face against his hands as he fought to ignore the part of him that was screaming at him to get up and go back to find Gray. He could feel his dragon straining towards the Ice mage, and as he let himself focus on the bond for a moment he could feel the concern coming through it and he tensed as he realised that it was concern that he had caused by taking off like this. Yet he knew that he couldn't go back yet not without at least taking a small step towards recovery…Gray was already trying to get back to normal, to move on after everything that had happed to both of them during the battle and although he hadn't said anything, and probably wouldn't, Natsu knew that he was the one holding them both back…_But how did he let go of what had happened?_

There had always been a part of him that had been aware of what could happen in the event of Gray being dying, but he had never really allowed himself to consider the consequences let alone the possibility of it happening. Sure they had been in tight spots before, he had lost count of the life-threatening battles that they had faced since they had all formed a team together…the image of Gray standing ready to cast Iced Shell of Deliora sprang to mind and he shivered before shaking his head. No matter how dire those situations had become thought, they had always managed to turn the situation around and whilst they had sustained numerous injuries there had never been a point that he had lost hope or truly feared that he was about to lose the Ice Mage. _But I did…I know it wasn't permanent, but I did lose him. I wasn't there in the moment when he really needed me, and he died because of that…_

It was like being doused in cold water as he finally allowed himself to fully confront the memory of the gaping darkness that had engulfed him when Gray had disappeared from the bond, and he shuddered violently, feeling his inner dragon beginning to howl in his chest as it shared the pain of that memory. Even though he knew that the Ice Mage was alive and well, and despite the thrumming bond connecting them he couldn't stop the panic that welled up inside him and he clutched frantically as his breath came in short, sharp pants.

"No," he muttered desperately as he sucked in air with difficulty. "No! Gray is fine. Gray is fine," it became a frantic chant as he tried to drag himself away from the recollection and after a few minutes he felt is breathing slowly beginning to ease out once more and he huffed out a weak sigh of relief.

FTFT

Gray was rapidly reaching his breaking point as it seemed as though no one could remember seeing Natsu go past recently. _Seriously how could anyone not notice a pink-haired guy running past?_ He thought to himself as he turned away from a shopkeeper with a scowl, ignoring the woman's attempts to keep him talking and the way she glanced coyly at him. His thoughts were consumed entirely by his wayward Dragon-slayer as he glanced around trying to work out where on earth Natsu would have run off to…_and why? _

After the clinginess the Fire mage had been displaying since the battle he had never expected Natsu to just take off on him, and the sudden change in behaviour frightened him. He knew that for all the moments of normality over the past couple of days, the Dragon-slayer was nowhere near being ready to move past what had happened even though it was clearly something he wanted… Dark eyes widened at that though, was that it? Had Natsu run off to try and sort himself out? Hope flickered briefly in his chest, but it was limited by the fact that he knew that the strain on the Dragon-slayer would've only been increased by the distance he had put between them and by the fact that he still couldn't get a clear reading on Natsu's condition through the bond.

FTFT

Natsu had finally managed to fully calm himself, and now he found himself at a complete loss, if just simply recalling how that night had felt could send him into a panic like that how on earth could he hope to deal with everything else? Letting out a frustrated noise he tilted his head back so that he could stare up at the sky, the worst thing was that he wasn't even entirely sure why he was still having so many problems coping with everything. After all Gray was safe and although it had proven unnecessary with how everything had worked out he had managed to avenge his Mate although not as effectively as he might've wished, and with the portal completely destroyed and removed there was no way for the threat to return.

"So why can't I just let it go?" He asked aloud with more than a hint of desperation in his voice, his face twisted with frustration as he punched the ground beside him. The rational, human part of him knew all that and although he knew his draconic side wasn't as convinced, it was slowly settling down at last, content in the knowledge that its Mate was alive and well despite the fact that he had failed to protect Gray in the first place. He blinked slightly as he realised with a start that his current conflict wasn't stemming from his draconic nature…that this panic and fear was purely human in nature, and then his eyes widened as for the first time he realised that ever since the moment he had felt Gray disappear from the bond he had been thinking and feeling more as a Dragon than a person.

_I never mourned for him…_ The dragon had mourned in its own way, even now the heartbroken cries that he had released echoed in the back of his mind. But Natsu hadn't. He had let himself hide behind that side of him so that he didn't have to confront what had happened, and part of him had been hiding ever since. Trembling slightly he sank back against the wall and for a moment he hesitated, he wasn't a hundred percent sure what would happen if he took a proper look at what he had been hiding from, but it was easy to guess that it wasn't going to be good and part of him just wanted to stop now. But then Gray's jealous expression from earlier flashed through his mind and he swallowed…if he backed away now then it would mean denying the Ice mage the chance to return to normality and there was no way he could do that.

Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes and reached out for his draconic side, realising just how close to the surface it was when it took him only seconds to reach it. He hesitated for a moment before resolutely beginning to try and subdue that part of himself, biting his lip as it instinctively lashed out against him as it realised what he was trying to do and he winced as he realised that his draconic side didn't trust him to protect Gray and for a moment his efforts faltered and he felt it trying to surge forwards once more. Desperately he rallied himself, and for several minutes the two parts of himself warred against one another in his chest and his fists clenched at his side as he struggled to gain any ground, struggling to ignore the small voice at the back of his mind that was whispering at him just to give in.

_I know you don't trust me and I don't really blame you for that…but I have to do this for Gray's sake, so that he can have the normal that he wants…so please go back to sleep. Please. _He begged, appealing directly to his wilder counterpart, holding his breath when suddenly the resistance against him stopped and he could feel it actually considering his words. There was a faint sense of acquiescence and then suddenly he found himself completely alone, with no sense of his Draconic side at all, although he knew that it was still there watching and waiting…ready to surge forward at the slightest sign of provocation.

It was an odd sensation and he found himself floundering for a moment as he realised that ever since the moment that he had gone into season that part of him had always been there, and even more so in the last few days and it left him feeling oddly empty. Slowly he opened his eyes, half expecting the world to look completely different but nothing seemed to have changed outwardly and he let out a soft sigh that was half relief and half exasperation. Reluctantly and with more than a trace of nervousness he turned his thoughts towards the reason behind the separation and he felt his breath catch in his chest as Gray's face flashed through his mind once more, only this time there was no draconic confidence to fall back on.

"Gray…" He whispered feeling the black pit threatening to open at the back of his mind and he shuddered as he tried to flinch away from it, but on his own it was harder to summon up the reassurances that had calmed him only a short while behind and he hung his head as he tried to quell the emotions that were rising inside him. After a second though he tensed, his brow furrowing as he stared down at his hands noting how badly they were trembling from the effort of holding himself back…_what was the point of all this if he was just going to try and bury it all again? I can't move forward like that, and if I don't move forward, Gray can't either…_ If it had just been for his sake he might have given into the desire to just hide from it once more, but for Gray…for his Mate he would endure it. He just wasn't sure how to break past the instinctive hold he had on his emotions, he had never really been one for introspection and more than that he feared what lay behind that barrier.

For a long moment he stared blankly down at the ground, feeling everything churning within his chest but still just out of reach. At the back of his mind he could still feel Gray trying to get past the block he had placed on the bond, and his eyes narrowed in thought even as he reined in the urge to reach out to the Ice Mage. _Gray…_ It all stemmed back to Gray, to the fact that he had failed in his main responsibility to protect him, and his heart ached at that thought before he sighed…he knew what would break through the barrier, but did he dare to do it? He hesitated before closing his eyes in defeat…

"Gray…died," his voice was shaking wildly as he voiced the terror that had hooked its claws into him and before he had even reached the end of it a violent sob had torn through him. There was a split second after the sob when he thought that maybe it hadn't been enough, but then there was shift in the back of his mind, and the barrier holding his emotions under wraps shattered violently.

Grief. Anger. Fear. Guilt. And so many other emotions that he couldn't even begin to name slammed into him, and without his draconic side to anchor him, he felt himself being swept away by the storm as he dissolved into wild sobs. Tears streaked down his cheeks and he struggled to draw in breaths, unaware of the fact that the block he had put between him and Gray was crumbling away at the same time.

FT

Gray crashed to his knees as a tidal wave of emotions surged through the bond, completely shattering the block that Natsu had erected and he was only vaguely aware of the curious stares that were being sent in his direction but he managed to wave them off as he sensed people beginning to try and approach him. _What the hell…Natsu…_ Dark eyes widened as he forced himself to focus on the source of the surge and he felt his vision beginning to blur as tears began to trickle down his cheeks, panic rising in his chest as he realised just how bad Natsu must be if he was physically reacting to the Dragon-slayer's emotions.

Barely able to see past the tears filling his eyes he forced himself back to his feet, dashing a hand across his eyes as he glanced around, not paying any attention to the people staring wide-eyed at him. Spotting a side-street a short distance ahead he set off in that direction, staggering slightly whenever fresh waves of anguish came through the bond and he found himself having to bite his lip to stop himself from howling. Finally reaching his goal he glanced around frantically, trying to find somewhere at least semi-private so that he could focus on helping his Mate and eventually finding a spot behind a pile of rubble that had yet to be removed he sank down to the ground, wiping ineffectively at his face as he tried to brace himself for what was to come.

**Natsu! Natsu!** He shouted desperately through the bond as he gave up on trying to wipe away his tears, clearly they weren't going to subside until Natsu had calmed down. There was a weak brush against the bond which told him that the Dragon-slayer had at least heard him, but after a few minutes of waiting there was no sign of Natsu actually responding, although given the force of the emotions coming through the Ice mage wasn't too surprised. He was finding it nearly impossible to gather his own thoughts and he was little more than a spectator, whereas Natsu was right in the centre of the maelstrom. Unfortunately Natsu's silence was going to make it harder to help him and Gray frowned in thought for a moment before he straightened with a determined expression.

_**I'm here,**_he whispered softly as he reached out through the bond, pushing everything he felt for Natsu towards the Dragon-slayer, wrapping it around his Mate in the approximation of a mental hug even as he wished that he was there to physically wrap him up in his arms_. __**I'm here**_**,**__he repeated almost desperately as for a moment he felt Natsu trying to pull away from the offered comfort and he clung on fiercely, refusing to leave the Fire mage on his own.

FT

Natsu was rocking backwards and forwards as he tried desperately to regain at least some control of himself, great hiccupping sobs tearing through his chest as tears streaked unchecked down his face. He could never remember crying like this before…not even when he had realised that Igneel had left him behind or when he'd heard that Lisanna had died…It scared him slightly now that he was slightly removed from his draconic side to realise just how much Gray had come to dominate his whole world and another sob tore through him with increased violence as he realised just how close he had come to losing all that. No. He had lost that even if just for a moment.

_**Natsu! Natsu!**_The sudden mental shout startled him and his head shot up briefly as he realised with a pang that the block had failed and that Gray was caught up in his breakdown, and yet he couldn't muster the thoughts to voice a response and instead settled for reaching out ever so slightly to brush against the Ice mage's mind. _I'm here, I can't respond right now but I'm still here,_ he thought to himself before burying his head against his arms once more, hiccupping as he tried frantically to steady his breathing…

_**I'm here,**_the whisper was nearly lost among his swirling thoughts and the Dragon-slayer froze as he felt the Ice Mage pushing his own emotions towards him, his weeping increasing intensity as he felt the sheer depth of Gray's love for him settling around him and wrapping him up its warmth. For a brief second he leant into it, craving the comfort that was being offered, but then his expression darkened and he mentally yanked himself away…he couldn't keep relying on Gray, that was one of the reasons why he had come to try and deal with this on his own._** I'm here,**_Gray repeated and Natsu wanted to howl as he felt the Ice mage clinging to him with fresh strength and determination, and yet at the same time he wanted nothing more than to just give in.

He fought against it for a couple more minutes, but finally the effort became too much and with a defeated noise he gave in, sinking once more into the comfort the Ice Mage was offering him. He was vaguely aware of Gray's relief at his surrender, but he still couldn't find the words to reach out to the Ice mage, instead he found himself being overwhelmed by the realisation that this…that everything around him was actually there and more importantly that Gray was still right there with him.

"Gray's here…He's still here" he whispered brokenly to himself, the sensation of being wrapped in Gray's emotions lending him the strength to believe in that fact and for the first time since Gray had managed to break through to him that night, he felt himself actually beginning to accept that fact. There had always been a small part of him at least that had doubted the reality of the situation he realised, a part of him that had been terrified that at any moment he might wake up to find that everything that had happened since then had been a figurement of his imagination…a delusion born of the need for Gray to be alright…But whether it was because of seeing the city getting back on its feet, the raw emotion flooding him, or Gray's mental embrace it was finally dawning on him that this was in fact real…_We really did survive it…I didn't fail him…Gray's still here and alive and soon we'll be able to go home…_

He let out a soft watery noise that was part sob and part laugh at that realisation, leaning back and resting his head against the wall as he stared skywards, feeling the flow of tears finally beginning to slow. _Has all of this been because of that stupid fear?_ He pondered as he hiccupped slightly, his breathing slowly beginning to ease out as the sobs subsided and he let out a soft sigh even as he shook his head. No, it hadn't been a stupid fear…but he had been wrong to try and run from it for so long, hurting both himself and Gray in the process and he vowed silently and fiercely to make sure he made it up to his Mate.

Still hiccupping slightly he reached up and scrubbed at his face trying to erase the last of the tears, and grimacing at how sore and grainy his eyes felt and at the soft ache in his chest from all the sobbing. And yet despite the physical discomfort and the weariness that he could feel creeping in he found himself feeling better than he had before, and deep within he felt his draconic side stirring slightly, his eyes widening as he realised that it too was more at ease than it had had been and he let out a soft sigh of relief…_it had worked._ Suddenly realising that Gray was still there in his mind and feeling the concern still radiating from the Ice mage, he reached out through the bond to tentively return the mental hug.

**Sorry…I'm okay,** he finally whispered when he was able to gather his thoughts enough to speak, his eyes widening as realised that for the first time in days there was actually more than a grain of truth to those words…and that even if he wasn't one hundred percent just yet, that point was at least within sight at last.

FT

Gray sank back against the wall wiping away his own tears as relief filled him at hearing Natsu's voice although it didn't stop him from snorting in disbelief at the Dragon-slayer's words…only Natsu would think that anyone would believe that after what had just happened and he shook his head in weary amusement, although part of him was relieved to see a glimpse of the usual Natsu coming through and it gave him hope that maybe this had been a step forward.

_**Sure you are, **_he replied fondly and he smiled slightly as he caught the brief spark of irritation coming from Natsu as the Dragon-slayer realised that he hadn't brought his words. The smile died though as he continued, inserting a hint of sternness to his mental voice as he was determined not to give Natsu the chance to try and avoid answering._** Where the hell are you? **_Even if Natsu was past the worst of what had happened, Gray knew that prolonging the distance and time apart would only continue to exacerbate the situation…plus he wouldn't be able to completely relax until he was able to see his Mate with his own eyes.

_**I don't know,**_Natsu replied hesitantly after a moment and the Ice mage growled softly at the response, his retort sharp and containing more than a hint of irritation and he only felt a trace of guilt as he felt the Fire mage flinch at his tone.

_**Natsu.**_

_**I don't,**_the Dragon-slayer protested after a moment and Gray frowned, this time picking up the sincerity and honesty in Natsu's voice although the answer didn't help in the slightest, but before he was able to voice that thought Natsu had continued in a sheepish tone._** I ran until I was somewhere safe…where I couldn't hurt anyone or cause more damage. I didn't pay attention to where I was going.**_

Gray closed his eyes at the explanation, remembering Natsu's panic back at the plaza and the way he had practically fled from him and he sighed as he realised that he should've expected that answer.

_**You idiot, **_he scolded softly but with very little irritation and he felt Natsu relaxing slightly at the lack of anger in his response. He paused for a moment to consider the situation before nodding decisively and climbing to his feet before continuing in an even gentler voice, wanting there to be no doubt at all that he wasn't angry. _**Just stay where you are and leave the bond open, I'll find you.**_

_**But…**_

_**Please do as I say,**_he pleaded cutting across the weak protest. He didn't like the thought of Natsu wondering around the city on his own after the breakdown he had just witnessed, and beyond that he didn't trust his flame-brained Mate not to end up getting himself even more lost than he already was. There was no verbal response but he felt Natsu's agreement and he smiled before adding. _**I'll be there as soon as I can.**_

_**Okay. **_He could feel the unspoken relief in the response and he rolled his eyes at the Dragon-slayer's stubbornness but chose not to address it, instead turning towards where he could feel the pull that signified Natsu's location, silently revelling in the fact that he could feel the bond and Natsu once more and making a note to force a promise from the Fire mage not block it ever again.

FTFT

Fifteen minutes later:

Natsu tensed suddenly as he became aware of the sound of movement nearby and warily he raised his head, not sure if he was ready to deal with being around someone else and highly aware that he probably looked a mess, and also wondering who on earth would be wandering around such a ruined area. He knew that it definitely wasn't Gray as the bond between them was still fainter than it should be, indicating that the Ice Mage was still a fair distance away although he could tell that Gray was slowly heading in his direction. Cautiously he sniffed the air, resolutely forcing himself to ignore the way his dragon recoiled from the lingering scent of the small dragons that had run riot in the area and his eyes widened as he picked up the faint scent drifting towards him…_he knew that smell…_ and his mind flashed back to the brief discussion at the inn about what could have caused the ripple in time and at once he was on his feet with a sharp cry.

"Ultear!" Olive eyes widened and then narrowed a moment later as a frail-looking, elderly woman slowly stepped out into the open and he tilted his head to the side in confusion as he considered her…_who was this?_ But as he sniffed the air once more, wondering briefly whether he had just been mistaken he realised that the woman definitely smelt like the Time mage and he took a hesitant step towards her. "Ultear? What happened…? What happened to you?" He could only vaguely remember her and Meledy being the ones to rescue him from Future-Rogue back in the palace and patching up his wounds, but he was fairly sure that she had still looked like her normal self-back then.

Nervous black eyes rose to meet his gaze as the woman raised her head properly to look at him, and he had to bite back a shocked gasp as just how old she looked. How vulnerable. _Just what had happened to make this happen?_ He knew enough about her brand of magic to know that it was rare and incredibly difficult to control, but he had never heard of something like this happening, and he could never have imagined it either. For a long moment she just stared at him, conflicted emotions playing across her face and something told him to stay put and wait as he sensed that she was tempted to turn around and flee and he didn't want to encourage that decision. Finally though she let out a defeated sigh before offering him a weak attempt at a smile.

"Hello Natsu…"

FTFT


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you for the amazing reviews, follows and favourites.

Disclaimer: As always Fairy Tail and its amazing characters don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them.

FTFT

_Previously:_

_Natsu tensed suddenly as he became aware of the sound of movement nearby and warily he raised his head, not sure if he was ready to deal with being around someone else and highly aware that he probably looked a mess, and also wondering who on earth would be wandering around such a ruined area. He knew that it definitely wasn't Gray as the bond between them was still fainter than it should be, indicating that the Ice Mage was still a fair distance away although he could tell that Gray was slowly heading in his direction. Cautiously he sniffed the air, resolutely forcing himself to ignore the way his dragon recoiled from the lingering scent of the small dragons that had run riot in the area and his eyes widened as he picked up the faint scent drifting towards him…he knew that smell… and his mind flashed back to the brief discussion at the inn about what could have caused the ripple in time and at once he was on his feet with a sharp cry._

"_Ultear!" Olive eyes widened and then narrowed a moment later as a frail-looking, elderly woman slowly stepped out into the open and he tilted his head to the side in confusion as he considered her…who was this? But as he sniffed the air once more, wondering briefly whether he had just been mistaken he realised that the woman definitely smelt like the Time mage and he took a hesitant step towards her. "Ultear? What happened…? What happened to you?" He could only vaguely remember her and Meredy being the ones to rescue him from Future-Rogue back in the palace and patching up his wounds, but he was fairly sure that she had still looked like her normal self-back then._

_Nervous black eyes rose to meet his gaze as the woman raised her head properly to look at him, and he had to bite back a shocked gasp as just how old she looked. How vulnerable. Just what had happened to make this happen? He knew enough about her brand of magic to know that it was rare and incredibly difficult to control, but he had never heard of something like this happening, and he could never have imagined it either. For a long moment she just stared at him, conflicted emotions playing across her face and something told him to stay put and wait as he sensed that she was tempted to turn around and flee and he didn't want to encourage that decision. Finally though she let out a defeated sigh before offering him a weak attempt at a smile._

"_Hello Natsu…"_

FTFT

An awkward silence had fallen over the pair after the quiet greeting, but after a brief hesitation Ultear sighed and crossed the distance between them waving him off when he began to rise with the intention of helping her, and there was a hint of her normal self in the flashing black eyes that made him obey. Still he couldn't stop himself from watching her with concern as she stiffly lowered herself to the ground a short distance away, his eyes narrowing as he studied her intently. Up close it was easier to see just how much she had aged and Natsu shifted nervously for a moment before gathering his courage to broach the subject, although his voice was softer than she had ever heard it before.

"What happened?"

"To me?" She asked quietly trying to stall for time as she considered whether she actually wanted to answer that question, and how much she was willing to say; which was part of the reason why she had been avoiding anyone that knew her over the past few days. Her gaze fell to her lap, wrinkled hands twisting in the fabric of dress as she realised that she was frightened that he would judge her…for attempting a spell like that…for failing to do anything that would help…she knew that the battle had been won, and she had heard the numerous rumours running around Crocus about his involvement in the fight and she swallowed hard at the thought of admitting her failures to the person that had managed to what she couldn't do.

"Yeah," Natsu replied softly, confused by the varied emotions flitting across her face and worried by the fear he could see lingering in the dark eyes as she glanced nervously at him. He had never seen that kind of expression on her face before, and he wasn't entirely sure how to react especially to the fear that he could see. _Why would she be afraid of me of all people?_ They might not have had the best start to their relationship, but he knew that Gray cared for her in his own way, and besides that she had been working with Meredy and Jellal to fight Zeref…as far as he was concerned that placed them on the same side now, regardless of what had happened in the past and _she'd_ also saved him back in the palace.

"I…" His attention snapped back to her as she finally spoke, and she blinked at the intensity of his gaze before pausing for a moment as she tried to gather her thoughts once more. "A long time ago when I was still learning about Time arc, I came across a spell…one that could turn back time for everything at once, rather than just one item like my usual magic." She glanced down at her hands, remembering the first time she had managed to manipulate time and her fingers clenched…_I won't get to feel that again…_ Despite everything that had happened and the reasons why she had originally learned Time Arc she had come to love that magic, despite the occasional pang at the fact that she hadn't managed to fully learn Ice Make magic because of it...it was her magic, a part of her in a way that she had never let anything else be, even Meredy.

"Turn back time?" Natsu was completely focused on her now, recalling what the others had said about the time-shift that had occurred…he knew that Gray had wondered if it was something to do with Ultear, having caught the suspicion flickering through the bond during the talk…but they had both dismissed it because as strong as she was, such magic should have been impossible even for her and even Meredy had agreed with that assessment. _Were we wrong?_

"I wanted to go back to the time when I was with my mother…" Ultear whispered softly, and there was sad expression on her face as she glanced up at him, knowing that Gray would have shared what had happened on Tenroujima with him and the Dragon-slayer gave a small nod to encourage her to continue and to show that he understood. "But before I could I learnt why it was a forbidden spell…It uses the time of the caster…their life, their future…it devours them to turn time back." She closed her eyes for a moment, remembering how horrified and devastated she had been when Hades had told her that…stealing away her hope for getting back to her mother just as she had found it.

"You…" Natsu swallowed hard, her changed appearance suddenly making sense and he couldn't keep the waver out of his voice as he asked. "You used it?" _But why…why doing something like that when you were trying so hard to make a future for yourself?_ Gray had never said much about it, but he knew that his mate was relieved that she had found a guild for herself, even if it was focused on righting crimes that had been long-forgiven for the most part. He had wanted Ur's daughter to have a future, regardless of what she had done in the past.

"You were right back then you know?" Ultear said softy cutting into his whirling thoughts, and he blinked at her before tilting his head in confusion at the seeming change in topic.

"About?"

"When I said that we should kill Rogue…the Rogue of this time I mean," she explained, and his eyes widened as he recalled that conversation. He had been furious with her for suggesting that they harm the Shadow Dragon-slayer of this time, but with everything that had happened afterwards he hadn't give it any thought beyond that…she had clearly not gone through with that thought, so what did it matter? "I thought I had changed…that I was becoming someone other than the monster that used Jellal and tried to destroy your guild."

"You are!" Natsu protested loudly.

"Yet my first reaction was to murder someone who hadn't even done anything wrong," Ultear pointed out calmly, having come to terms with her own feelings already, although warmth blossomed in her chest at his quick response and the sheer certainty she could hear in his voice. _Natsu…you really are a good person._ "If you hadn't spoken up then I might have gone through with it." _I was going to…even with your words ringing in my ears…_

"But you didn't," Natsu pointed out with a frown, unable to understand why she was getting so hung up on action that she hadn't even committed and Ultear sighed softly. Glancing up at the sky for a moment, as she considered how to explain what she meant, to make him understand why she couldn't just accept the forgiveness he seemed so willing to offer her.

"No. But just the fact that I considered it…" _Something that you…and Gray…and even Jellal and Meredy would never have even considered. _She could feel her eyes beginning to sting, realising that she hadn't managed to move past those thoughts and feelings as much as she thought she had and she blinked rapidly to fight back her tears, refusing to let them fall in front of Natsu.

"What does this have to do with that spell?" Natsu asked quietly, realising that this was something that they weren't going to agree on anytime soon and as much as he hated having to admit defeat, he needed to know what had happened..._are you the one that gave me my Mate back? Are you the one that saved Gray?_

"I wanted to atone…" Ultear whispered as she turned back to look at him, holding up a hand when he went to speak and he feel silent, watching her with intense eyes as she forced herself to continue with her explanation. "For the past…for not changing like I should have and I wanted to protect this world…and then I remembered that spell. What if I cast it and stopped the dragons from ever coming? Or at least gave you more time to find a way to stop them appearing. I thought that I'd found a way to atone for those past sins. But…."

"But…?"

"It wasn't enough," she had to look away, unable to stand the dawning expression of horror on his face, instead gazing down at her hands once more and studying the wrinkles and age-spots that now covered her once smooth skin. "My life wasn't enough…"

"Your life…"

"The spell took my time," her lips twisted up into a slightly bitter smile as she added. "But all it added up was to one minute…one minute…" _One minute…_Natsu swallowed hard, staring at her with wide eyes as he realised that she truly had been the one to save them all. To save Gray when he hadn't been able to. _That one minute was far more precious than you realise…_

"You…"

"I used it," Ultear finished for him, the bitterness fading from her smile as she reached out to brush tears from his cheeks and he was stunned to realise that he had been crying without even realising it…crying for the fact that she didn't realise that her sacrifice had, had meaning…and that it was because of her selflessness with that single act that he still had Gray, and that he was still alive. "But it wasn't enough…I couldn't save anyone in the end. But it doesn't matter…you and everyone else that fought that day managed to do what I couldn't…and I made a kind of peace with that fact."

"It did matter!" Natsu shouted and she blinked at him, stunned by the shout and his words, wondering if he had been paying attention to what she had been saying. But then he continued, and she found herself unable to do anything but gape at him for a long moment. "That one minute...it…it meant a lot!" _It meant everything…_

"What do you mean?"

"You don't know?" Natsu asked, torn between shock and dismay as she looked at him in confusion and his voice was strained as he continued. "You haven't spoken to anyone since then? What about Jellal and Meredy?" Ultear shook her head slowly, her gaze growing distant as she stared out over the ruins surrounding them and he stiffened as he caught the sole tear that escaped, watching wide-eyed as it trickled down her cheek before disappearing from sight and he started slightly when she replied a moment later.

"I c..couldn't…can't see them," she whispered her voice shaking slightly under the force of her emotions, and when she turned dark eyes to look at him he winced at the pain and grief in their depths and he barely resisted the urge to reach out and wrap her in a hug. "I don't want them to suffer because of the choice I made," she added more strongly, a small spark of determination appearing in her eyes and for a moment she looked more like her old self, but Natsu wasn't fooled. He could hear the longing and loneliness hidden in her voice, and he knew that whilst they had been brought together by the worst of situations the bond that she shared with Jellal and Meredy was just as strong in its own way as his own bond with Fairy Tail and he couldn't stop himself from speaking up. _You don't deserve to be on your own in this…no matter what you did before…_

"But…"

"What did you mean when you said it did matter?" Ultear cut across him gently, shaking her head slightly when he raised his gaze to meet hers fully intending to continue his earlier protest. But there was something in her eyes that told him his words wouldn't reach her…but he could at least answer that question…

"That one moment you gave us," he replied softly, his heart aching as he reluctantly turned his thoughts back to the battle although he was relieved when his draconic side did nothing more than rumble unhappily at the reminder of what they had nearly lost. "You saved so many people. You saved Gray!" _You saved me…_he added silently with a faint shudder, vaguely able to recall the sensation of Atlas Flame leaning over him, waiting for that final blow that would allow him to join Gray. It made his heart ache to think back on it now, knowing that if it had actually happened then he would have been the one to leave the Ice mage all on his own.

"I…"

"I lost him," his voice shook wildly at those three words, even now that he was recovering it didn't make it any easier to say and his gaze was locked on the ground as he continued, knowing that he would fall apart if he met her gaze at the moment. "Just before your spell…Gray was killed…" He hadn't even realised that he was trembling again until she reached out to grasp one of his hands, startled olive eyes darting up to meet her gaze, wincing at the terror and horror that had appeared in her darks eyes and he could feel himself beginning to tremble slightly. _I thought I was past this…_

"Gray? Gray died?" She couldn't keep the pain out of her voice…out of everyone, he was the one that she felt she owed the most to…and his calm acceptance of her role in Crime Scorciere and her presence here in Crocus had meant the world to her even if she hadn't been able to put it into words. Watching both him and Lyon in the games had reassured her that despite her own actions, there was a worthy legacy of her mother's magic and teachings out there for the whole world to witness.

"Just for a moment…but your spell, it brought him back and because he knew what was coming he escaped the attack the second time," Natsu replied, finding it easier to voice now that he had someone else who needed to hear the words.. "The others had similar stories…that, that brief glimpse of the future saved them."

"But…" Ultear blinked as she studied him, there was no hint of a lie or uncertainty in either his voice or expression and she knew without a doubt that he was telling her the truth. Yet it was hard to let go of her conviction that she had failed…after all that spell had only given her a minute…and yet it had been enough to save lives? It had been enough to save Gray? "I…" There was lump in her throat now and she trailed off helplessly, realising as she did so that there was tears trickling down her own cheeks now and she tried fruitlessly to wipe them away.

"You saved us," Natsu repeated softly and this time she let out a soft sob at his words. Without thinking the Dragon-slayer reached and hugged her, pulling her tight against his chest and allowing her to bury her head against his chest, his hand rubbing gentle circles over her back as she began to sob in earnest against him and he felt his own eyes welling up again as he murmured softly into her ear. "Thank you…Thank you for giving him back to me."

FTFT

Gray could tell that he was getting closer to Natsu now, but instead of the relief that he'd been expecting to feel, he was growing increasingly concerned by the whirlwind of emotions that were periodically leaking through the bond. It was different from before…there was still pain and grief in there, but the darkness that had accompanied them for the past few days was nearly gone, only pale shadows remaining and he was confident that with time they would fade even more even if they never managed to completely vanish.

A part of him knew that some part of that darkness would remain in both of them…they had come too close to losing each other to forget it, and he wasn't sure that he wanted to forget despite the pain of those memories. Natsu had lost him…and he had come within seconds of losing the Dragon-slayer and part of him wished those experiences could be forgotten, especially for Natsu's sake. And yet at the same time he knew that if anything they were closer…stronger because of what had happened, and that was something that he didn't want to lose even if it meant embracing that darkness.

However, as much as he was willing to embrace that darkness, it didn't change the fact that he wanted to find Natsu and make sure that he was okay…and then yell at him for taking off like this and scaring him this badly. _Stupid Flamebrain._

FTFT

Ultear sniffled softly as she finally pulled back a few minutes later her eyes still swimming with tears as she peered up at him, a tentative smile spreading across her face as she met Natsu's worried gaze before reaching out to gently lay a hand on his cheek. It warmed her when he made no move to escape her touch, knowing that after their earliest interactions he had every reason to be wary of her even if she had inadvertently saved Gray, but there was nothing but trust in the olive eyes holding her gaze and she marvelled at the heart he must have to be able to look at her in that way.

"Thank you telling me this," she whispered a wealth of feeling in her voice, and Natsu returned her smile even as he quietly shook his head at her words reaching up to lay a warm hand over hers.

"You should have known from the start," he pointed out softly, and she sighed before glancing around at the ruins that stretched around them and his eyes narrowed at the shadow that passed over her expression, but before he could comment she had pulled her hand away and her gaze slowly turned back to meet his.

"I had accepted it you know," Ultear said softly and Natsu tilted his head in confusion, and seeing this she smiled tightly before gesturing at her changed appearance. "That my sacrifice didn't achieve anything…or I thought I had….but to know that I actually made a difference." Watching that clock hand move back by such a small amount had shattered her, and even though she had come to terms with it, there was warmth spreading through her chest at the realisation that a single minute could have changed the future so much…_I actually saved people. I made a difference even though I hadn't really changed…_Her thoughts drifted to the letter that she had already written for Meredy and Jellal and she knew that she would need to change it, if someone like her could be redeemed then there was plenty of hope for them and she wanted them to know that before it was too late, even if she still couldn't bring herself to face them.

"You know even if you hadn't made a difference," Natsu began somewhat hesitantly, trying to think through what he was saying, well aware that he often tended to speak without thinking and he didn't want to put his foot in it this time, this was too important. Ultear hadn't outright said it, but he could smell it and see the truth in her eyes…she didn't have long left and he wanted to do his best to at least make sure that she didn't keep thinking that she hadn't changed. "The fact that you tried…that you were willing to give up your life just for the opportunity to save lives….The old Ultear, the one that you're trying so hard to forget would never had done that! You have changed! I know you don't believe it…but it's the truth." Yes he had been mad at her for planning on killing their Rogue…but she hadn't gone through with it and that was all that mattered.

"You're sweet," Ultear smiled at him, touched by this efforts to offer her comfort, and there was a light in her eyes that hadn't been there before and she didn't hesitate before adding softly. "And thank you…but I accepted my darkness long ago."

"But…" Natsu wanted to protest, to prove to her that she really had changed but he didn't have a clue how to go about it and he subsided, wishing that Gray or the others were here as they would probably have a better idea of what to say…he had always been better with actions than words. Thinking of his mate and wanting the comfort of the bond he reached out, only to blink as he realised just how strongly the link was humming and his eyes lit up. "Gray's coming," he said turning away and scanning the street with eager eyes, realising that the Ice mage was nearly there and he quivered with anticipation in his seat. Now that his head was clearer he was keen to see his Mate, especially as he could feel the concern leaking through the bond. However, he frowned as he felt Ultear shifting uneasily beside him and he turned to glance at her in surprise, noting the tension that had leaked into her expression. _Didn't she want to see for herself that Gray was okay?_ "What's wrong?"

"I can't see him," Ultear replied softly, meeting his gaze directly and he could tell that she was completely serious and his frown deepened even as his confusion intensified.

"But…"

"Natsu," she shushed him quietly, reaching out to grasp his hand and offering him a small but warm smile which made the rest of his protest get stuck in his throat. He had been expecting fear or maybe anger, but there was an odd kind of peace in her eyes as their gazes met, and he found himself swallowing at the sight sensing a finality in the air as she continued softly. "Knowing that I gave him a future is more than enough for me. It would only hurt him to see me as I am now, and I don't want to do anything else to hurt him." _I can't do anything else to hurt him…_

"He'll still know," Natsu said softly, feeling the Ice mage picking up on his churning emotions and reaching out through the bond and for a brief moment he soaked up the comfort of the contact, carefully keeping his thoughts separate…unable to bring himself to reveal who he was talking to, or what they were talking about until he had managed to convince Ultear. He could pick up Gray's confusion and concern and he bit his lip, angry at himself for worrying the Ice mage yet again and he pulled back mentally as he felt his resolve beginning to weaken.

"Know?"

"When you're gone…I'm sure that he'll realise it," he replied softly, and dark eyes widened at his words and she opened her mouth to argue. _Surely there was no way that her life…or passing would be felt by anyone, even if they had forgiven her._ However, Natsu continued before she could protest and there was a knowing expression on his face as he met her gaze firmly. "I'm sure they all will." _I know I will…_ He didn't voice that thought aloud though, not wanting to overwhelm her and realising on some level that she wouldn't fully believe him even if he did say it.

"Maybe," Ultear said gently, realising that there was no point in arguing about this fact now, unwilling to admit just how much those simple words meant to her even if she didn't fully believe them. "But at least this way, they'll be able to remember me as I was…and they won't feel burdened to care for me." Whilst she might doubt how Gray would react, she knew without a doubt that Meredy would insist on staying by her side right to the bitter end and she didn't want to tie the younger girl to her in that way…didn't want to make the coming grief worse than it had to be.

"But…"

"From the moment I woke up like this," She gestured at herself, struggling not to wince as old bones protested the movement although she caught the way his eyes narrowed and knew that he had seen, although thankfully he chose not to comment. "I knew how I wanted this to end. Please Natsu, let me have that much at least." When she had woken in the small room where her rescuer had taken her, she had been astonished to find that she was still alive…but it hadn't taken her long to realise how much had changed, too in touch in her magic to miss the messages that it was screaming at her. Her time was nearly up…and at the time there had been something akin to relief within that thought and there had been no hesitation in her decision about how she wanted to spend her last unexpected bit of time.

"I…" Natsu hesitated as he studied her pleading expression, seeing the truth of her words in her eyes and he lowered his head in defeat. "I don't agree…but I won't stand in your way." How could he after everything that she had done for them, everything she had sacrificed for their sake.

"Thank you."

"Can I tell him?" Natsu asked after a moment, and she tilted her head questionly and he sighed before elaborating. "Can I tell Gray what you did for us?" In all honesty he wasn't sure how he was going to find the words to explain all this, but it was hard enough to conceal this conversation as it was, and there was no way his mate wasn't going to realise that something more had happened…and he knew that he wouldn't be able to lie to the Ice mage.

"If you want," Ultear replied finally as she studied the emotions flickering across her face. Part of her wanted Gray to remain completely unaware of what had happened, what she had done with the life that he had given her back on Tenroujima…but she knew from watching the pair together just how close they were, and Natsu was honest to a fault and she didn't want this secret of hers to come between them. Natsu nodded gratefully, having caught the undertone of reluctance in her voice, but relieved that she had given permission.

Offering him a small smile she slowly rose pulling a face as the movement reminded her once again of her age, and despite herself she was relieved when Natsu moved to help her, warm hands steady and gentle as he helped her up with a sad smile. Patting his hand in thanks she stepped back, her hands trembling slightly as she rearranged the shawl she was wearing, already missing his warmth and the comfort it had brought.

"What will you do now?"

"I have some last things to take care of," she replied softly as she met his gaze, seeing the sadness and the realisation in his eyes, and despite the guilt at putting that expression there she drew comfort from the fact that someone was capable of looking at her like that. Her hand slipped down to the letter in her pocket, thinking of the parts that needed to be rewritten now because of the remarkable mage in front of her and she smiled slightly. No matter what she had said or come to terms with, there was less fear of what was to come now that she knew that she had managed to atone for her sins at last, even if Natsu refused to see it in that light. "Then I'll get to see my mother."

Natsu swallowed hard at those words, despite the lightness and hope in her voice, staring at the floor as he felt his eyes beginning to burn once more. It wasn't fair. Ultear had given him everything and yet there was nothing that he could do to help her, even though he knew that he had at least helped a little by telling her the truth of what had happened…but still in comparison to Gray's life…to his own life…it was too little, far too little.. Ultear studied him silently, easily able to guess what he was thinking about and she wished that she could have avoided causing him this pain. Her gaze was drawn to the ring on his finger, and her lips curved up slightly…she could never have imagined that he and Gray would wind up together, but it was clear they were good for each other and it gave her hope that the Ice mage would have a bright future.

"Take good care of Gray," Ultear said gently breaking into his whirling thoughts and his head shot up, blinking back tears as he met her gaze and after a long moment of studying her he nodded, reaching up to swipe his eyes before replying softly.

"Of course," it was a promise not only to her, but to himself and his dragon as well and she smiled brightly at him before turning and walking away and he swallowed hard, realising that this was farewell, and that she had no intention of saying the words and he forced himself to hold them back himself as he stared at her proud back.

_Farewell._

FT

Natsu sighed softly as he watched Ultear disappear off down the side street, wishing that he could have convinced her to stay and talk to Gray. He knew that his Mate cared for her, even though the start of their tentative friendship had been more than a little rocky and he had to admit that he was worried about sharing the news of her sacrifice with him. But given what she had done for all of them he couldn't bring himself to push the issue, and instead he raised his hand in a brief wave when she paused to glance at him and even at this distance he could see her warm smile.

"Natsu!" The sudden shout dragged him out of his thoughts and she immediately disappeared out of sight and he sighed again before whirling around, his expression melting into a warm smile as he found the Ice mage dashing towards him an expression of concern written across his face which only seemed to deepen as Gray caught sight of his no-doubt red-rimmed eyes.

"Gray! I…" He was cut off before he could fully formulate an explanation as Gray slammed into him with unexpected force, and he hastily caught the Ice mage as he struggled to keep them both upright, the familiar feel of the cold body beneath his overly warm hands grounding him in the present.

"Idiot!" Gray growled and Natsu flinched as he caught the glint of real anger in his Mate's eyes, only to freeze a moment later as the Ice mage flung his arms around him, olive eyes widening as he realised that Gray was actually trembling slightly and he hesitantly slipped his own arms around the other teen. "You scared me, what were you thinking taking off like that?"

"I'm sorry," Natsu whispered, happily burying his face into the Ice mage's shoulder and letting Gray's scent fill his nose as he added softly. "I just needed to sort my head out…." It was odd to think that was what he had set out to do…so much had happened since then, and his heart ached as he realised that at some point he would have to broach the topic of Ultear's sacrifice…but not right now, not when Gray was clinging to him and the dragon oddly peaceful in his chest.

"And did you?" Gray asked in a gentler tone, his anger fading now that he had Natsu back in his arms with no sign of injuries to be seen and easily able to feel that the Dragon-slayer was far calmer than he had been earlier despite the evidence that he had been crying. He knew that Natsu had made progress, he could feel it in the bond and see it in the fresh spark in the olive eyes that had met his, but he still wanted to hear it from the Fire mage himself.

"I think so," Natsu said softly, pulling back slightly so that he could peer up at Gray his olive eyes calmer than the Ice mage had seen them since the day of the battle and he smiled warmly at the sight. _Natsu you've managed to come back to me_. His heart swelled at that thought and he reached forward to press a soft kiss to Natsu's forehead, lips curling upwards as Natsu's cheeks heated up before the Dragon-slayer pulled back slightly and added softly. "I can't forget how it felt…but I know that you're here. You're not dead. You're right here and that's all that matters."

"Yeah…We're both still here."

FTFT

A/N: Ah, I am so sorry folks I didn't realise how long it had been since I updated this one! Only one or two more chapters to go.


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you for the amazing reviews, follows and favourites.

Disclaimer: As always Fairy Tail and its brilliant characters don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them.

FTFT

"_Italics in speech marks" –_ Are lines from the anime and I claim no credit for them. (This does not include the recap)

_**Bold italics – **_Mental speak.

FTFT

Previously:

"_Gray! I…" He was cut off before he could fully formulate an explanation as Gray slammed into him with unexpected force, and he hastily caught the Ice mage as he struggled to keep them both upright, the familiar feel of the cold body beneath his overly warm hands grounding him in the present._

"_Idiot!" Gray growled and Natsu flinched as he caught the glint of real anger in his Mate's eyes, only to freeze a moment later as the Ice mage flung his arms around him, olive eyes widening as he realised that Gray was actually trembling slightly and he hesitantly slipped his own arms around the other teen. "You scared me, what were you thinking taking off like that?" _

"_I'm sorry," Natsu whispered, happily burying his face into the Ice mage's shoulder and letting Gray's scent fill his nose as he added softly. "I just needed to sort my head out…." It was odd to think that was what he had set out to do…so much had happened since then, and his heart ached as he realised that at some point he would have to broach the topic of Ultear's sacrifice…but not right now, not when Gray was clinging to him and the dragon oddly peaceful in his chest._

"_And did you?" Gray asked in a gentler tone, his anger fading now that he had Natsu back in his arms with no sign of injuries to be seen and easily able to feel that the Dragon-slayer was far calmer than he had been earlier despite the evidence that he had been crying. He knew that Natsu had made progress, he could feel it in the bond and see it in the fresh spark in the olive eyes that had met his, but he still wanted to hear it from the Fire mage himself._

"_I think so," Natsu said softly, pulling back slightly so that he could peer up at Gray his olive eyes calmer than the Ice mage had seen them since the day of the battle and he smiled warmly at the sight. __**Natsu you've managed to come back to me.**__ His heart swelled at that thought and he reached forward to press a soft kiss to Natsu's forehead, lips curling upwards as Natsu's cheeks heated up before the Dragon-slayer pulled back slightly and added softly. "I can't forget how it felt…but I know that you're here. You're not dead. You're right here and that's all that matters."_

"_Yeah…We're both still here."_

FTFT

Two days later:

Gray knew that there was something that Natsu wasn't telling him, he could see it in the way olive eyes would linger on him every now and then, and the Dragon-slayer still hadn't explained what had been behind the churning emotions that the Ice mage had picked upon that he was fairly sure had nothing to do with the Dragons. However, he wasn't going to push the issue for the time being, trusting that Natsu would tell him when was good and ready and too relieved to see his mate bouncing around with his old, happy grin on his face as the guild got ready for the ball that was being held for all the mages who had participated in the battle.

The darkness and the fear that the near miss had left them with hadn't disappeared completely, and every now and then he would feel the bond between them darkening even if nothing shifted in his mate's face, and he knew that it would probably always be there for both of them. It was there in the way that neither of them had strayed far from the other one since Natsu had taken off to sort out its head, and the way that Natsu would watch as anyone came too close to the Ice mage, although so far there had been no growling or outbursts and Gray found he couldn't bring himself to mind the increased possessiveness.

"Are you ready?" He jumped as warm breath tickled his ear, realising that the Fire mage had taken advantage of his distraction to sneak up on him and he smiled as Natsu draped himself over his shoulders and pressed a shy kiss to his cheek. "You're worrying again…"

"Sorry," the Ice mage guessed he must've been clouding up the bond, and he offered Natsu an apologetic smile as he turned towards him, letting the Fire mage steal a proper kiss before adding with a brighter smile. "But yes I'm ready for this." In all honesty he was looking forward to the ball, and not just because Natsu was going to be honoured for his role in stopping the Dragons…but because it felt like an eternity since they'd been able to have some proper, relaxing fun. It was also going to mark their last evening in Crocus, and as magnificent as the capital was, Gray was more than ready to go home…hoping that the memories would recede faster if they were back in Magnolia and no longer surrounded by the evidence of what they had survived.

"Really?" Natsu asked, grinning as he nipped playfully at his mate's ear and Gray tensed at the gentle pain, and the amusement in the Dragon-slayer's voice. "Then shouldn't you be dressed?" It took a moment for the question to register, but then Gray glanced down with a groan, already knowing what he was going to find.

"Damn it!" He muttered realising that not only had he let Natsu sneak up on him, but at some point he had managed to shed everything but his boxers. Ignoring the chuckles from the people around them, all of them far too used to his antics by now to be too worried, he rose to his feet and looked around for his missing clothes. His guild…and Lyon might be fine with his unfortunate stripping habit, but he had a feeling that it would go across to well at the palace. Thankfully they hadn't gone too far, and with a put on sigh he wiggled back into his trousers, shirt and jacket before reaching for his tie, only for it to be snatched away at the last minute by Natsu. "Natsu give that back!" He ordered, lunging for the tie, only to miss as his stupidly nimble mate dodged out of the way and bolted for the door with a childish laugh. With no other choice he gave chase with an angry growl, even though inside he was smiling as he felt the happiness seeping through the bond and he knew that there was no way he was going to be able to keep up the anger when he was face to face with his mate. "NATSU!"

Back inside Wendy and Gajeel exchanged relieved looks, because whilst they had tried to have faith that Natsu would be able to come back from what had happened, they hadn't been confident that he could and it was a relief to see him acting like himself. Neither of them had missed the little hints from both Gray and Natsu that not everything was resolved, but that would take time…time that they had now that this mess was slowly resolving itself, and Gajeel's eyes were soft as he rested a hand on Wendy's head for a minute, carefully avoiding messing up her hair when he caught Erza who had helped her do it watching with narrowed eyes.

"You can stop worrying now squirt."

"You too Gajeel-san," Wendy smiled up him, looking far too knowing for a girl her age, and the Iron Dragon-slayer huffed before glancing to the side as he let his hand fall away. Instinctively denying her words, even though he knew that no one in the guild would believe him for a second.

"I wasn't worried…" He muttered, but even as he heard her giggling at his words, his gaze had drifted back to the door that Natsu and Gray had just disappeared through and he couldn't stop the small smile that tugged at his lips.

_It's good to have you back Salamander…_

FTFT

The ball was magnificent, and Gray had to agree with the quiet whispers that they had heard on the way here…they were incredibly lucky…and the King was brave to have let so many mages lose in his palace, especially Fairy Tail and its rather bad track record. With that thought in mind he turned to look at the side door that Natsu had been led through a few minutes beforehand, apparently Makarov had explained that the Dragon-slayer was still unhappy about anything public being made about his role in what had happened…the memory of what he could have lost still too close to the surface, and the King had instead asked to speak with his mate privately. The Dragon-slayer hadn't been happy about being separated from Gray, and the Ice mage had caught a distorted image of Natsu imaging the two of the dancing before the Fire mage had been able to suppress it completely, but eventually he had gone after Gray had pointed out that the sooner it was done with, the sooner they would have the evening to themselves.

Even now he could pick up on the odd discontented thought from his mate, but nothing definite, so he just sent a wave of encouragement to reassure the Dragon-slayer that everything was fine, before turning back to looking around the room. He couldn't happen but smile as he looked around at his own guild-mates, seeing the fear and stress of recent events slowly melting away, laughter ringing through the air as they mingled with the same mages that they had all been fighting so fiercely only a few days before. _How much can change in the space of a few days…_He thought, his hand drifting up to his head for a minute as the memory of what had happened flashed through his mind, and he hastily buried it before sending a quick reassurance to Natsu. The last thing they needed was an overprotective Dragon-slayer on the loose in the palace.

Needing a distraction, he wandered across to look at the tables of food, although Natsu had made him promise that he wouldn't eat without him and a wicked smile passed over his face as he began to send teasing thoughts about the food through the bond. To be honest it looked delicious and he felt his mouth beginning to water, not helped by the fact that he could hear Chelia and Wendy eagerly talking about the puddings they were eating and he hastily pulled himself away so that he wouldn't give into temptation.

He had just escaped from Cana and Bacchus who were trying to drag him into a drinking competition, when he felt a worrying surge of mischievousness coming from his mate and he froze, frowning as he silently demanded to know what his mate was up to. However, Natsu had sealed off just enough of the bond to stop the Ice mage being able to work out what he was doing, and Gray found himself worrying at his bottom lip. In all honesty he wouldn't care what the Dragon-slayer got up to, because just the fact that he was plotting mischief was a sign that he was well on the way to recovery…however, he also knew that his idiotic mate often had no idea about social graces and he could just imagine how much trouble his mate could get into in a palace. In the end though he settled for sending a small warning through the bond, and hoping that he wouldn't regret not doing more…

_**Try not to get arrested.**_

_**I won't,**_somehow the swift reply wasn't as reassuring as Gray had hoped it was going to be, and he sighed softly. _Only Natsu…_

"There you are Gray?!" He turned to find Lucy heading towards him, and he smiled in greeting before noting that she was looking around in surprise and he sighed knowing who she was looking for. "Isn't Natsu back yet?"

"No…"_ He's probably causing havoc as we speak…_

"What's he up to?" Lucy demanded with exasperation, and Gray blinked at her in surprise wondering if he had just said that last bit aloud by accident. She smiled at his consternation, before explaining in a tone that spoke of long suffering. "That's the exact expression I get when I know he's snuck into my flat…" Gray winced at that, well aware of how destructive his mate could be even when he was trying to be on his best behaviour…and that he, himself was also guilty of breaking into her flat more than once.

"I don't know," he admitted after a moment, before adding under his breath. "I'm sure we'll find out soon enough…" Now that he was feeling better, there was no way that Natsu was going to be able to ignore the potential of such a large audience for whatever mischief he had planned, and the Ice mage knew that it was probably going to be something that no one would forget in a way.

"Let's just hope…" Lucy began quietly, only to trail off as they heard voices in the distance, and they both shared worried looks as they realised that the guilds were squaring up over something, hurrying across as they heard Erza's voice ringing out.

"_Wait! We can't stay silent in this matter, either!"_

The brawl that followed made it feel like they were all back at Fairy Tail, and despite his niggling concern over what his mate was doing and the thought that Natsu would be gutted to have missed out on the battle for Yukino, Gray flung himself into the fight wholeheartedly. It was oddly liberating to fight again, especially when there was no risk of serious injury or death, and he felt like a weight that he had already thought was gone had been lifted from his shoulders even as he took a fist to the face and went down hard.

_It's really over…and we're all alive…_

FT

"_Everyone! That's enough!" _Arcadios's voice carried easily even over the sound of the fight, and slowly everyone pulled apart, dusting themselves off and turning to look at him, although Gray caught a couple of people surreptitiously exchanging final blow out of the corner of his eye. It was a miracle they weren't all being kicked out after that brawl he thought, taking in the crushed food tables with a wince, before forcing himself to focus on what the older man was saying. _"You showed great valour during the Grand Magic Games, and your efforts saved the country. His Majesty would express his appreciation directly, so take heed!"_

"_KING!" _Asuka was bouncing up and down with an excited grin, and Gray smiled as he listened to Bisca and Alzack trying to shush her, comparing the little girl's excitement with Natsu's disgruntlement when he had been sent off to meet with the King…speaking of which…an uneasy feeling pooled in Gray's stomach all of a sudden as the doors behind Arcadios began to open, not helped by the spike of excitement that broke through the seal Natsu had put on the bond and he glanced down, fighting the urge to groan. _ Oh dear…._

"_What?!"_ Lucy was the first to react, her mouth dropping open and Gray swallowed hard before forcing himself to look up and follow her gaze, only for his mouth to drop open to as his gaze landed on his wayward Mate._ That Idiot…_

The Dragon-slayer had somehow managed to get his hands on the Crown, Scepter and the King's cloak and was now looming over them with a wild grin…and Gray was dismayed to realise that he couldn't even summon the slightest hint of irritation, instead feeling his lips quirking up as olive eyes met his for a brief second, before Natsu bounced to the front and gazed down at them all.

"_My subjects! Make yourselves comfortable!"_ Natsu's voice rang out, strong and confident and nothing like the broken tone of a few days ago…and damn it all, all Gray wanted to do was wrap his mate up in a tight hug and kiss him for coming back to himself. At the same time, he didn't want to ruin his mate's fun, although from the muffled protests coming from behind the Dragon-slayer it wouldn't be long before Natsu had to surrender his role, not that the idiot seemed that concerned as he danced around on the balcony._ "I'm the King! I became the King!"_

Gray could feel the eyes boring into him, waiting for him to do something about his mate, but he couldn't move as he felt laugh bubbling up in his chest. He could hear his guild-mates groaning and sighing with despair around him, and he was fairly sure that he had just seen Makarov ripping out his hair, but all he could focus on was the childishly happy expression on his mate's face and the happiness flooding the bond. It was that last sensation that made him lose the battle against his laughter, doubling over with chuckles even as Lucy sighed…probably at both of them…before she called up to the Dragon-slayer in a faux, stern tone.

"_You're taking that too far."_

FT

The rest of the evening had passed a lot more peacefully once Natsu had finally surrendered his 'Kingship' and been chased back down to join the others, and Gray doubted very much that they would be getting any more invites to the palace as he caught all the guards keeping a close watch on his mate. He tried to scold him when the Fire mage came bounding up to him, but his heart wasn't really in it, and he gave up after Natsu had pulled him into a tight hug. Despite the fun he' had, it was clear that the Dragon-slayer hadn't like the separation and there was a faint tremor in the arms wrapped around Gray, and the Ice mage paid the surrounding mages no mind as buried his face in the crook of the Fire mage's neck and murmured quiet reassurances.

Thankfully just their renewed proximity seemed to revive the Dragon-slayer, and after a couple of minutes he broke away whining about food. The Ice mage allowing himself to be tugged over to the few tables that had survived their earlier brawl, not missing the fact that Natsu hadn't let go of his hand, or the way his fingers would tighten ever so slightly as other people brushed too close. He didn't mind…it was only now that he had the Fire mage back at his side that he realised there had been a small ball of anxiety in his chest, the feeling slowly disappearing as they ate together, teasingly feeding each other little titbits and trying to guess what some of the fancier items were. _We're alive…_It was a thought that he was never going to get tired of, he realised as he watched Natsu happily gorging himself and he sighed before resting his head against the Dragon-slayer's shoulder. _We're alive…_

"Gray?" Natsu asked in concern, immediately abandoning his food as he felt his mate resting against him, although the bond was light with only a touch of lingering darkness that could've been coming from either of them.

"I'm all right," Gray murmured, smiling down at his partner before adding softly. "I'm happy." Natsu's expression softened at that, olive eyes shining suspiciously for a moment before he rested his head against Gray's, a contented noise rumbling in his chest.

"Yeah me too."

They had been inseparable for the rest of the evening, which had meant that Gray had to endure all the scolding's that Natsu had earned himself, not helped by the fact that he could feel how unrepentant his mate was. Once that ordeal was over, the Dragon-slayer had pulled him out onto the dance floor despite his protests…weak protests…and they finally had the dance that Natsu had been envisaging earlier, and they had ended up spending most of the remaining hour on the dance floor. Gray basking in the contentment coming off the Dragon-slayer in waves, and enjoying the fact that he was taller than his mate as it allowed him to hold the idiot against him, with Natsu grumbling about it but still happily pressing himself against the Ice mage's chest. Most of the time they were surrounded by their own guild-mates, everyone running gentle interference to give them the time together and by the end of the night, neither of them could keep the happy grin of their face as they shared a gentle kiss as the bells around Crocus rang out to announce the end of the day, a single thought running through their bond.

_**I love you…**_

FTFT

The next day:

They were going home. They had done what they had set out to do, winning the Grand Magic Games despite the odds that had been stacked against them and proving to the world that Fairy Tail was far from gone. However, Gray could help but feel relieved as the cart left Crocus…even though he knew that it had been worth it, the bad memories that had been made were still too close to comfort and he was eager to leave them behind and embrace the fact that they had survived. _If we survive the trip,_ he thought with a soft smile as he glanced down at the Dragon-slayer sprawled in his lap, brushing his fingers through messy pink hair as Natsu whined pitifully before burying his face against Gray's stomach. _Idiot…_

The ball had lightened everyone's spirits, and the night before had been the first night that both of them had managed to sleep through without nightmares, although that might have been because they had slept so closely entwined. Either way, he couldn't keep the smile of his face, even if he did wish that he could banish Natsu's travel sickness all together as he shared a long-suffering glance with his teammates. Still he wouldn't change it for the world, not after coming so close to losing everything, and he pulled Natsu closer as he leant back against the seat. _I wouldn't change this for anything…_

They were barely an hour out from Crocus, and Natsu had finally settled in his lap, although he knew better than to think the Dragon-slayer was asleep. He was listening half-heartedly to the others bickering and squealing over Erza's artwork, when something tugged at his senses and he found himself reaching out to pull back one of the curtains and peering out. It took him a moment to spot her…a tiny, old lady standing in the middle of the street and staring at the sky with a look of utter contentment on her face, and he frowned, finding himself unable to drag his eyes away. There was something about her that struck a chord with him, and his eyes widened when she looked at him and smiled, recognition slamming into him and stealing his breath. He wanted to shout for them to stop, but his voice was trapped under a haze of pain and confusion and there were tears in his eyes when she shook her head at him, guessing what he had intended and he swallowed. _Ultear…_

"Gray…" Natsu had caught the familiar scent in the air even through his motion sickness, and he had managed to find the strength to push himself up so he could peer out of the cart just in time to see Ultear disappearing into the distance…he could feel the confusion and pain coming from the Ice mage, and he knew that he had to say something. Weakly he reached out to grab his mate's arm when he realised that Gray's attention was still locked on the road they had just come down, and he waited until dark eyes met his before continuing softly. "There's something I need to tell you…we…" He cut off as nausea welled up, and he wanted to groan…this was the last thing he needed right now, and he tilted his head to look at Erza with a pleading expression. "Erza can we take a break?"

"But…" She had begun to protest, but there must've been something in his expression, or the fact that there was now a chill coming of the Ice mage as his emotions began to get the better of him and she sighed, and nodded. "Sure, is everything okay?"

"Not really…" Natsu admitted softly, well aware that there was not going to be any easy way to broach this topic…it was one of the reasons he had been putting off telling Gray about Ultear…that and he had wanted his mate to have a few days without the costs of that battle being the only thing they could think about. Besides he had known that there would have been no stopping his mate from tracking down the Time mage if they were still in Crocus, and as much as he had hated the idea of keeping something from the Ice mage, he had owed her for everything she had done and he'd known that he had to keep his peace for her sake.

_I guess there's no point now though…_

FT

The carriage had pulled over a few minutes later, Natsu immediately feeling his stomach beginning to settle, but he didn't wait for it to calm completely before he rose from his position in his mate's lap and grabbed Gray's hand, pulling the Ice mage after him. They didn't have time to go too far, but he led Gray as far as he could in the hopes of stopping the others from overhearing them, squeezing cool fingers for a moment before releasing him…he wasn't sure that he had the right to hold onto him at the moment, especially not when he could feel the dark eyes boring into him.

"Gray…" He began before trailing off, unsure how to even begin to explain what had happened, his expression clouding over as he thought back to his conversation with Ultear. "I…."

"That…that was Ultear I saw back there," Gray cut across him, and Natsu forced himself to meet his mate's gaze, an unhappy noise rumbling in his chest as he saw the tears already swimming in his mate's eyes. _Gray…he knows… _He wanted to look away, to escape the pain of that sight or reach out and pull the Ice mage into a tight hug, but he found himself frozen in place as Gray's hands curled into fists at his side, before he asked softly. "Wasn't it?"

"Yes…"

"You knew?" There was a world of emotion in that question, and Natsu winced at the pain and anger he could detect within it and he glanced down at the ground as he nodded quietly, taking a deep breath before finally forcing himself to speak.

"I ran into her when I went off to sort out my head…" He felt the comprehension that slipped through the bond, and he knew that Gray was putting two and two together as the Ice mage recalled the odd surges in his emotions that afternoon.

"You didn't tell me? Why?"

"I didn't know how to," Natsu admitted softly, trying not to feel hurt at the distance that Gray had put between them, well aware that his mate had every right to be upset with. He hesitated for a moment, trying to think of the best words to explain the next bit, tripping over his tongue a little as he really didn't want to see the hurt expression that he knew he was going to get. "And…she…she didn't want you to see her like that, she wanted you to remember the woman she was."

"I…" Gray swallowed thickly, glancing down to try and hide his pain from the Dragon-slayer, not that it would do much good with the bond open between them._ She didn't want to see me…_His mind flashed back to the old lady, and he lowered his eyes as despite the hurt caused by that thought, he realised that he could understand…if he was ever reduced to that state, would he want anyone he knew to see him? He sighed, already knowing the answer to that question and he slowly lifted his head to look at Natsu, forcing his voice to calmness as he asked. "What happened…?"

There was nothing to be gained by hiding anything at this stage, and so Natsu began in a soft voice, making sure to hold his mate's gaze as he explained how he had met her that fateful afternoon…how he had only been able to recognise her by smell, how she had reluctantly explained what had happened to her, and he paused as he felt the pain that lanced through Gray as the Ice mage immediately connected the dots between her spell and the one minute that had saved them all. He moved without thinking, reaching out and wrapping his arms around the Ice mage just as Gray's legs gave way beneath them, and he lowered them both to the ground.

"She…"

"She saved all of us," Natsu finished for him, holding Gray tightly as he felt his mate fighting back his sobs, and there were tears in his own eyes as he added softly. "She saved you…"

"I…" Gray couldn't speak, his mind flashing back to another time…another woman sacrificing her life for his sake, and there was no holding back his tears now and he buried his face against Natsu's shoulder with an anguished whimper. Natsu's face was contorted with pain as he felt the sorrow coming from the Ice mage in waves, and he tightened his hold on the Ice mage, drawing gentle patterns on his back and his voice was thick with emotion as he continued.

"She didn't even know what she had achieved…" Natsu whispered, taking a deep breath as he glanced down at the dark-head nestled against his shoulder, feeling the tears soaking into his vest. "But Gray…" He waited until he was sure that the Ice mage was listening before adding softly. "She was happy. Happy that she had saved us, that she had saved you…" He couldn't continue aloud any longer, not with Gray's grief and guilt mingling with his own, and he buried his head against the Ice mage's as he added mentally.

_**She made me promise to take care of you…**_

That was the final blow, and he felt it through the bond as his mate fell apart completely and he clutched Gray tightly as the Ice mage howled against his shoulder. _Gray…_ He didn't have any words that could ease this pain, especially after glimpsing the memory of Ur that had flashed through Gray's mind a couple of minutes ago, so he just held on.

It hurt…It hurt more than he had thought that it could, and Gray pressed as close as he could to Natsu's warmth as heaving sobs wracked his body. A small part of him was mad at Natsu for keeping it secret, but the Dragon-slayer's thoughts had been easy to read, and he couldn't be mad at his mate for letting Ultear have the end she had wanted…they both owed her that much. They both owed her everything…and he squeezed his eyes shut as another, overwhelming thought crept through his grief, the weight of the debts he now owed and would never be able to repay pressing in heavier against his shoulders.

_Ur…Ultear…I lost both mother and daughter…_

FTFT

Two weeks later:

Gray's heart was heavy as he made his way up the path to Ur's memorial. He had been putting this off for days, still unsure of how on earth he was supposed to tell her that he had lost her daughter as well… that Ultear had died to save them. _To save me…_ He couldn't shake that guilty thought, even though Natsu had pointed out that she hadn't known the danger that Gray was in and that she had done it to save everyone, the only comfort he had was that at least Natsu had been able to tell her what she had done for everyone. What she had given them. But still he wished that he could have seen her properly one last time, to say farewell…to thank her…to do something to make her realise that she was a part of his family even if they had started as enemies.

It had been Natsu who had pointed out softly that he should go and talk to Ur, that they were probably together now and that he could say all the words that he hadn't had the chance to say. Olive eyes soft as he had overridden every weak protest and excused Gray had managed to summon, eventually chasing him out of the door with a gentle kiss to the cheek. Deep down he knew that his mate was right, that this was something he had to face up to and sort out himself, just as Natsu had needed to take off on his own for a while to sort himself out after the Dragons. That didn't make it any easier to face, and he was trembling slightly as he crossed the runes that protected Ur's memorial and he faltered for a moment before opening the gate and stepping into the clearing, his eyes already stinging as he forced himself to lift his head to look at Ur, only to find his breath catching in his throat.

She was no longer alone…there sat her feet, made from the same beautiful glass was Ultear…not the old lady he had seen so briefly, but the woman he remembered and there was nothing he could do to stop the tears trickling down his cheeks as he took a shaky step forward. _ Ultear…but…_

"What…?" He closed his eyes for a minute, hesitantly reopening them and waiting to find that he had imagined it, but no the new statue was still there and warmth pooled in his chest._ Natsu…_he had no idea when Natsu or the others had found time to do this, but he knew that no one else could have been responsible for this, and he choked back a sob even as he reached out for his mate through the bond.

_**Natsu….**_ His mental voice was as fragile and wobbly, and he immediately felt warmth bursting through the bond, engulfing him in a comforting mental hug. He tried to marshal his thoughts into some kind of order, desperately needing to thank his mate, but unable to even formulate even a sentence. As always though Natsu didn't need the words to understand him, and Gray felt tears trickling down his cheeks at his mate's words.

_**They were both precious to you….and I know you wanted them to be together.**_

_**I…**_

_**Speak to them.**_Natsu cut him off gently, warmth flooding through the bond, and the Ice mage caught a fleeting image of the Dragon-slayer standing in their living room with his arms open as though ready to wrap them around Gray and he sniffled at the pure affection in the next words_**. I'll be here when you get home.**_

_**I love you!**_

_**I know,**_there was no smugness in those words, just simple belief and Gray knew that, that more than anything else was a sign that Natsu was recovering.** I love you too.**

Natsu's presence faded away to a background hum in the bond, leaving Gray in peace but not alone and he sighed before reaching up to scrub fiercely at the tears on his cheeks. He honestly had no idea what he had done to deserve a mate like Natsu, and he couldn't help but smile at the thought that if someone had said that to him a couple of years ago he would have just scoffed at them. _Natsu? Why would I ever fall for someone like that? _Now the mere thought of life without the idiot left a cold, pit of terror in his stomach, and his voice trembled as he finally raised his head to look properly at Ultear's memorial.

"Thank you…"

_Thank you for giving me this life to live with him…_

FT

Natsu was waiting in the hallway when Gray got home, having felt his approach through the bond, and he was relieved to feel that the shadows that had been darkening the bond since he'd told the Ice mage about Ultear had lightened. It would take longer for them to fade properly, the same as his fears from what had happened in Crocus, but it was a step in the right direction. The moment the front door opened he had opened his arms, the same image he had sent his mate earlier, offering him a soft smile as he saw the evidence that Gray had been crying.

"Gray…" He was cut off abruptly as Gray lunged at him, wrapping his arms tightly around Natsu and rocking them both backwards and it took Natsu a moment to steady them, his arms immediately rising to wrap around his mate as he felt the Ice mage beginning to tremble.

"Thank you…thank you," Gray chanted as he fell against his mate, letting Natsu support most of his weight as he stared down at his partner, struggling to put what he was feeling into words. How much that gift meant to him…but his words were failing him again, and instead he captured Natsu's lips in a desperate kiss, needing to find some way to convey the emotions rising in his chest. Natsu responded immediately, releasing him from his hug as warm hands crept up to cup his face, and it was only when gentle fingers moved up to brush his cheeks that he realised he was crying again. "Natsu…."

"Shh," Natsu hushed him softly as he pulled away, eyes soft as he studied the Ice mage. Despite the tears that were still falling, there was a spark in the dark eyes that had been missing for the past couple of weeks and the Dragon-slayer felt his own eyes stinging as he pulled Gray back into a hug, leaning up to press a gentle kiss to his mate's lips before nudging their noses together. "We're okay now…"

"Yeah…"

_We're alive…we're together…_

**THE END**

FTFT


End file.
